EquippedMama

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. 

1 Peter 1:3-6, NET, NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

What brings you great joy?

For many of us, joy often mistakenly gets misunderstood as happiness, or pleasure in response to our circumstances. We want a child, and when we get pregnant we think that is joy. We face a health crisis and believe that only healing will bring us joy.

In the book of 1 Peter, the author encourages his readers to fix their hope on the promise of eternal security, rather than earthly blessings. In his introduction to the epistle, the apostle Peter praises the Lord for the new birth and living hope that He has given to believers. This is a certain inheritance, protected by God’s power.

In the book of James, the author also encourages the reader to abide in steadfast joy despite circumstances. He encourages his readers;

My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

James 1:2-4, NET

Do you live life with a steadfast joy that is uninfluenced by circumstance? Does such a thing seem impossible to you?

For those of us who have trusted in the Lord Jesus to save us from our sins, this steadfast joy is available to us! These promises for an imperishable inheritance are also our to claim. We have great reason to live with joy, knowing that our sins have been forgiven, and that there is now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

If you have never known this steadfast joy of a secure future and a right standing with God, these blessings can be available to you, too.

The Bible teaches us that all of the universe was made by the All Powerful God- (Genesis 1). He exists in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God created the world, and when He did so, everything was perfect and without disease, death, or any other kind of problem. God also made the first man and woman and commanded them not to eat of one tree. All the other trees in the garden He created were theirs for enjoying, except the one He clearly delineated (Genesis 2:16-17). When this first man and woman disobeyed God’s command, sin entered the world.

This sin caused separation from God, and brought death with it (Romans 5:12). Each person who lives is guilty of breaking God’s standards for holiness. We have all sinned, either by thinking, saying, or doing wrong or evil things. With these sins, we have failed to live in the way that God expects to live (Romans 3:23). The bad news is that the outcome of our sins is death, eternal separation from God in hell (Romans 6:23). God is perfectly holy, and He therefore cannot allow people who sin into Heaven.

But the good news is that God the Son, Jesus, came to earth to make forgiveness for our sin possible. The Bible says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NET). Jesus lived a perfect life and then was killed as the substitution for our sins. He did not stay dead, however, but was raised three days later (Mark 16:6-7) proving His victory over sin and death.

The best news is that this forgiveness that Jesus died to give is available to us all. The Bible teaches that we must believe in Jesus and confess Him to be Lord to be saved (Romans 10:9). We must recognize our own sinfulness, and our need for Jesus to forgive our sins in order for us to be right with God (1 John 1:9). All willing to completely depend on Jesus for a right standing before God have access to His forgiveness and grace.

Is this forgiveness something that you need? If so, there is no reason to wait. If you understand your need for forgiveness before the Lord, take time today to pray and tell the Lord that you believe in Jesus’ work on the cross, and that you trust in Him exclusively to be your Savior from your sins. Ask Him to make you right before Him and thank Him for His work to accomplish your forgiveness.

Then tell someone what you’ve done! If you are not friends with any Christians in your community, please always feel free to reach out to the EquippedMama community for more information about how to grow in your faith.

It is our prayer that everyone who reads this post can truly experience the steadfast joy that a relationship with Jesus Christ alone can bring.

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