3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3 – 9, English Standard Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context:
Our study yesterday emphasized the need to be rooted in Scripture. Our commentators did an excellent job of explaining how our study of Scripture enables rejoicing and thanksgiving as a way of life.
Today we will focus on one of the key reasons why we need to be committed to studying all of Scripture. It is the entire Bible that provides a true characterization of who God is, and we can reasonably assume that our view of God impacts our approach to rejoicing and thanksgiving. For example, if a Bible reader concludes that God is more concerned about revenge than love, their relationship to rejoicing and thanksgiving will likely differ from a Bible reader who reaches the opposite conclusion.
Bible Study Passage:
Our Scripture passage above presents a view of God and paints a beautiful picture of a joyful response because of who God is. Please study the passage and respond to the question below.
Question:
What biblical image(s) of God best underpin your attitude towards rejoicing and thanksgiving?
Please share the most prominent image that comes to mind.