1 Peter 1-2

Notes compiled with my BSF group


Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Peter
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1837&commInfo=5&topic=1%20Peter 


The design of this first epistle is,
I. To explain more fully the doctrines of Christianity to these newly-converted Jews.
II. To direct and persuade them to a holy conversation, in the faithful discharge of all personal and relative duties, whereby they would secure their own peace and effectually confute the slanders and reproaches of their enemies.
III. To prepare them for sufferings.
This seems to be his principal intention; for he has something to this purport in every chapter, and does, by a great variety of arguments, encourage them to patience and perseverance in the faith, lest the persecutions and sad calamities that were coming upon them should prevail with them to apostatize from Christ and the gospel. It is remarkable that you find not so much as one word savouring of the spirit and pride of a pope in either of these epistles.



1 Peter 1:1–3
Peter wrote mainly to "God’s elect". These people are…
1) Strangers in the world
2) Scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia
3) Have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood


Further Reading:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1837&commInfo=5&topic=1%20Peter  




Life Application Study Bible footnote:
* 1 Peter 1:1 This letter is addressed to "God's chosen people who are living as foreigners" in various parts of the world - the Jewish Christians scattered throughout the world as a result of persecution against believers in and around Jerusalem. The first believers and leaders of the early church were Jews. When they became Christians, they didn't give up their Jewish heritage, just as you didn't give up your nationality when you became a follower of Christ. Because of persecution, these believers had been scattered throughout the Roman world (this scattering is described in Acts 8:1-4). Persecution didn't stop the spread of the Good News; instead, persecution served as a way to introduce the Good News to the whole empire. Thus, the churches to whom Peter wrote also included Gentile Christians.
*1 Peter 1:1 The apostle Peter wrote this letter to encourage believers who would likely face trials and persecution under Emperor Nero. During most of the first century, Christians were not hunted down and killed throughout the Roman Empire. The could, however, expect social and economic persecution from three main sources: the Romans, the Jews, and their own families. All would very likely be misunderstood; some would be harassed; a few would be tortured and even put to death.
The legal status of Christians in the Roman Empire was unclear. Many Romans still thought of Christians as members of a Jewish sect, and because the Jewish religion was legal, they considered Christianity legal also - as long as Christians complied with the empire's laws. However, they became the target of persecution when they refused to worship the emperor as a god, refused to worship at pagan temples (so business for these moneymaking enterprises dropped wherever Christianity took hold), or exposed and rejected the horrible immorality of pagan culture.
Many Jews did not appreciated being legally associated with Christians. As the book of Acts frequently records, Jews occasionally harmed Christians physically, drove them out of town, or attempted to turn Roman officials against them. Saul, later the great apostle Paul, was an early Jewish persecutor of Christians.
Another source of persecution was the Christian's own family. Under Roman law, the head of the household had absolute authority over all its members. Unless the ruling male became a Christian, the wife, children, and servants who were believers might well face extreme hardship. It they were sent away, they would have no place to turn but the church; if they were beaten, no court of law would uphold their interests.
Peter may have been writing especially for new Christians and those planning to be baptized. Peter wanted to warn them about what lay ahead, and they needed his encouraging words to help them face opposition. This letter is still helpful for any Christians facing trials. Many Christians around the world are living under governments more repressive than the Roman Empire of the first century. Christians everywhere are subject to misunderstanding, ridicule, and even harassment by unbelieving friends, employers, and family members. None of us is exempt from catastrophe, pain, illness, and death - trials that, like persecution, make us lean heavily on God's grace. For today's readers, as well as for Peter's original audience, the theme of this letter is hope.
*1 Peter 1:1 Peter (also called Simon and Cephas) was one of the 12 disciples chosen by Jesus (Mark 1:16-18; John 1:42) and, with James and John, was part of the inner group that Jesus singled out for special training and fellowship. Peter was one of the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, God's Son, and Jesus gave him a special leadership role in the church (Matthew 16:16-19; Luke 22:31, 32; John 21:15-19). Although during Jesus' trial Peter denied knowing Jesus, Peter repented and became a great apostle.
*1 Peter 1:2 Peter encouraged his readers by this strong declaration that they were chosen by God the Father. At one time, only the nation of Israel could claim to be God's chosen people; but through Christ, all believers - Jews and Gentiles - belong to God. Our salvation and security rest in God's merciful choice; no trials or persecutions can take away the eternal life he gives to those who believe in him.
*1 Peter 1:2 This verse mentions all three members of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. All members of the Trinity work to bring about our salvation. The Father chose us before we chose him (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus Christ, the Son, died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:6-10). The Holy Spirit brings us the benefits of salvation and sets us apart (makes us holy, sanctifies us) for God's service (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
*1 Peter 1:2 How did God "choose" us? Don't we make our own choices? God alone originates and accomplishes our salvation because of his grace; we do nothing to earn it. Being "chosen" in no way removes the necessity for people to choose to follow. The fact that God knows all events and decisions beforehand, even ordains them beforehand, does not mean that he forces the actions of his creatures or leaves them with no choice. Instead, God's foreknowledge means that he took the initiative and chose people before they had done anything to deserve it. God had intimate knowledge of these future believers; he knew who would believe, and he knew them personally. Those chosen ones were known by God the Father as a father knows his children, except that God knew about them from eternity past. God is not trapped in time - what he knows is from eternity past into eternity future. Believers are chosen, but not against their will. When the time comes, they accept the gospel message.

1 Peter 1:3-12
1) We are saved not through our own works but through faith. This is awesome because if our salvation was based on our own works, we would never be good enough! We would never make it!


2) Because of our salvation, we became not of this world; we became children of God. And as children of God, we inherit, with Jesus, God’s kingdom, and we get to rule as kings and priests with Jesus. What worldly treasure can measure up to this?


Life Application Study Bible footnote:
* 1 Peter 1:3 The term born again refers to spiritual birth (regeneration) - the Holy Spirit's act of bringing believers into God's family. Jesus used this concept of new birth when he explained salvation to Nicodemus (see John 3). This term is a wonderful metaphor of new life from God. You cannot be a Christian without a fresh beginning based on the salvation Christ brings. To be born again is a magnificent gift from God.
* 1 Peter 1:3-5 Do you need encouragement? Peter's words offer joy and hope in times of trouble, and he bases his confidence on what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We live with the wonderful expectation of eternal life (1:3). Our hope is not only for the future; eternal life begins when we trust Christ and join God's family. God will help us remain true to our faith through whatever difficult times we must face. The "last day" is the judgment day of Christ described in Romans 14:10 and Revelation 20:11-15. No matter what trials or persecution you may face, your soul cannot be harmed if you have accepted Christ's gift of salvation. You will receive the promised rewards.


1 Peter 1:6-7
Peter said, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”


When we continue to look to Jesus even when we are in trial, when we continue to place our faith in Him, trusting that He will deliver us from all difficulties, our outward behavior will be an example to others, showing them what it looks like to have our complete faith in God. And when God delivers us, they, too, will see the glory of God (Leviticus 25:18-22). This is a great example of how we can lead people to God by our works.


This is the same idea behind the sabbatical years observed by the Israelites in the past. God instructed the Israelites to rest every 7 years, to not work for a full year. And during that rest, they are to devote to God, to rely on not themselves but on God, from the provision to food to shelter. The idea here is that the Israelites would show others what it means to live with their faith in the Lord, and how God provides for His people. This is important because through the Israelites, others can then come to know God (Genesis 12:3) and seek God for refuge from Satan's manipulations and attacks.


1 Peter 1:13-16
God’s purpose for us is to be His children. This is why Peter instructed us to be holy. As image-bearers of God, we are to reflect God’s image. And since God is holy, we are also to be holy. Holy is not an abstract idea. Paul explained what it means to be holy: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance” (1 Peter 1:13-14). This is how we can be holy in all that we do.


Life Application Study Bible:
*1 Peter 1:13, 14 The imminent return of Christ should motivate us to live for him. This means being mentally alert ("think clearly"), disciplined ("exercise self-control"), and focused ("look forward"). Are you ready to meet Christ, living as God's obedient child?
*1 Peter 1:14-16 The God of Israel and of the Christian church is holy - he sets the standard for morality. Unlike the Roman gods, he is not warlike, adulterous, or spiteful. Unlike the gods of the pagan cults popular in the first century, he is not bloodthirsty or promiscuous. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of his followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate him by following his high moral standards and by being both merciful and just.
*1 Peter 1:14-16 Peter's words mean that all parts of lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God's standards. After people commit their lives to Christ, they sometimes still feel a pull back to their old ways. Peter tells us to be like our heavenly Father - holy in everything we do. Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use and set apart from sin and its influence. We're to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. God's qualities in our lives make us different. Our focus and priorities must be his. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways (1:14). We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin. Rely on God's power to free you from sin's grip.


1 Peter 1:17-21
Before Jesus died on the cross for us, the Jews had to use the blood of lambs that were without blemish or defect to atone for their sins (Leviticus 4-5:13). However, since the blood of animals is only a temporary solution (which is why this needed to be done once every year), this was not an eternal solution. It certainly wasn't a satisfactory solution either because it merely covered up the stench of our sin, so to speak. The blood of the lamb was not able to completely cleanse human sin!


John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God because the blood of Jesus atoned for our sins ETERNALLY. Jesus was a perfect man, and the blood of a perfect man is the eternal solution to cleanse the sins of man.


Life Application Study Bible:
*1 Peter 1:17 "Reverent fear" is the healthy respect of a believer for the all-powerful God. Because God is the Judge of all the earth, we dare not ignore him or treat him casually. We should not assume that our privileged status as God's children gives us freedom to do whatever we want. We should not be spoiled children but grateful children who love to show respect for our heavenly Father.
*1 Peter 1:18, 19 A slave was "ransomed" when someone paid money to buy his or her freedom. God ransomed us from the tyranny of sin, not with money, but with the precious blood of his own Son (Romans 6:6, 7; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Colossians 2:13, 14; Hebrews 9:12). We cannot escape from sin on our own; only the life of God's Son can free us.
*1 Peter 1:20 Christ's sacrifice for our sins was not an afterthought, not something God decided to do when the world spun out of control This plan was set in motion by the all-knowing, eternal God long before the world was created. What a comfort it must have been to Jewish believers to know that Christ's coming and his work of salvation were planned by God long before the world began. This assured them that the law was not being scrapped because it didn't work but that both the law and the coming of Christ were part of God's eternal plan.


1 Peter 1:23
Paul spoke a lot about being born again in his epistles. The general idea of being born again is to die in our sins and be born in Christ. What does this mean? We should remember the following:


1) We are sinners (Romans 3:23). Really understand that this means. We are sinner because compared to God, we are not perfect. No matter how good of a person we are, we have bad thoughts, we make mistakes, etc. These imperfections define us as sinners. There really is no sugar-coating this fact.


2) And by God’s judgment, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).


3) The blood of Jesus cleanses us from our past, present, and future sins ETERNALLY (Romans 10:9-13).


Knowing the above, we know the following:
1) If we continue to sin, we die physically and receive eternal suffering.
2) If we do not receive Christ, we die spiritually and receive eternal suffering.
3) However, if we die in our sinful spirit and be born again in the spirit of Jesus, we receive eternal life.


In sum, by repenting of our sins, we know that we are dead as sinners. And by accepting Jesus, we know that Jesus gives us life by washing away our sins. Thus, when we become Christians, we are born-again in the spirit. We were born once in the flesh, inheriting the sins of Adam and Eve. We need to be born again in the spirit to receive eternal cleansing and to inherit the Kingdom of God.


Hence,
Step 1: Realize we are sinful.
Step 2: Realize we can't be perfect without God's help
Step 3: Realize that Jesus died on the cross to wash us of our sins.
Step 4: Accept this gift of grace and be reconciled to God. Step 5: We will be born again, because our old sinful self has died and are given a new life in Christ that is holy.


This process is best summarized by Paul in Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I know live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."


Life Application Study Bible:
* 1 Peter 1:22 "Sincere love" involves selfless giving; a self-centered person can't truly love. God's love and forgiveness free you to take your eyes off yourselves and to meet others' needs. By sacrificing his life, Christ showed that he truly loves you. Now you can love others by following his example and giving of yourself sacrificially.
* 1 Peter 1:24, 25 Quoting Isaiah 40:6-8, Peter reminds believers that everything in this life - possessions, accomplishments, people - will eventually fade away and disappear. Only God's will, word, and work are permanent. We must stop grasping temporary and begin focusing our time, money, and energy on the permanent: the Word of God and our eternal life in Christ.


1 Peter 2:4–8

"Living" Stone (1 Peter 2:4): Christ is alive today and is interceding for us everyday. Therefore, we shall rejoice! 

"Precious" Stone (1 Peter 2:6-7): Christ is precious to God and His children because His blood reconciled us to God. Therefore, we shall treasure Christ and all that He has done for us.

Peter’s main idea here is that we are to be like Jesus, to be living stones to those around us. We are to bring people out of darkness and lead them into the light. We are to resist temptations of the flesh and through our deeds show those around us the glory of God.


I think the biggest factor that causes people to stumble over Christ today is pride. Many people think they know what the truth is. They think they have all the answers. They refuse to think. They refuse to analyze. And therefore, they lock their minds in a prison, never allowing their minds to see the light. They readily criticize other people, but they never use the same criteria to criticize themselves. I thus urge us all to be driven by the truth rather than prideful emotions.



Life Application Study Bible
*1 Peter 2:6-8 No doubt Peter often thought of Jesus' words to him right after he confessed that Jesus was "the Messiah, the Son of the living God": "You are Peter...and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:16, 18). What is the stone that really counts in the building of the church? Peter answers: Christ himself. Jesus Christ is called "the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." Some will stumble over Christ because they reject him or refuse to believe that he is who he says he is. But Psalm 118:22 says that "the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone," the most important part of God's building, the church. What are the characteristics of Christ, the cornerstone? (1) He is completely trustworthy; (2) he is precious to believers; (3) and, though rejected by some, he is the most important part of the church. People who refuse to believe in Christ have made the greatest mistake of their lives. They have stumbled over the one person who could save them and give meaning to their lives, and they have fallen into God's hands for judgment.





1 Peter 2:9-12
As Christians, we are to...
- Abstain from sinful desires (1 Peter 2:11)
- Live good lives so that pagans will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us (1 Peter 2:12)
- Submit ourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority (1 Peter 2:13)
- Live as free people, but do not use our freedom as a cover-up for evil (1 Peter 2:16)
- Live as God's slaves (1 Peter 2:16)
- Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor (1 Peter 2:17)


Christians, or children of God, are not of this world (John 15:19). We are not of this world, because we do not desire the things of this world. This is important because Satan still currently rules this world (1 John 4:4), and if we desire the things of this world, we would fall under the power of Satan.


As long as we continue to live as Christ lived, to uphold Christian values, to never compromise the Truth of God, we will always be regarded as “aliens” or “strangers” because to the people who are of the world, we would be very different. We would be different because we see things from God’s perspective (not man’s or Satan’s), and we hold God’s values (not man’s or Satan’s).


Life Application Study Bible
* 1 Peter 2:9 Christians sometimes speak of "the priesthood of all believers." In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. A priest acted as intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ's victory on the cross, that pattern changed. Now we can come directly into God's presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16), and we are given the responsibility of bringing others to him also (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). When we are united with Christ as members of his body, we join in his priestly work of reconciling God and people.
*1 Peter 2:9, 10 People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as his very own, and we have been called to represent him to others. Remember that your value comes from being one of God's children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do.

*1 Peter 2:11 As believers, we are "temporary residents and foreigners" in this world because our real home is with God. Heaven is not the pink-cloud-and-harp existence popular in cartoons. Heaven is where God lives. Life in heaven operates according to God's principles and values, and it is eternal and unshakable. The Kingdom of Heaven came to earth in the symbolism of the Jewish sanctuary (the Tabernacle and Temple), where God's presence dwelt. it came in a fuller way in the person of Jesus Christ: "God with us." It spread through the entire world as the Holy Spirit came to live in every believer. Someday, after God judges and destroys all sin, the Kingdom of Heaven will rule every corner of this earth. John saw this day in a vision, and he cried out, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them" (Revelation 21:3). Our true loyalty should be to our citizenship in heaven, not to our citizenship here, because the earth will be destroyed. Our loyalty should be to God's truth, his way of life, and his dedicated people. Because we are loyal to God, we often will feel like strangers in a world that would prefer to ignore God.
*1 Peter 2:12 Peter's advice sounds like Jesus' in Matthew 5:16: If your actions are above reproach, even hostile people will end up praising God. Peter's readers were scattered among unbelieving Gentiles who were inclined to believe and spread vicious lies about Christians. Gracious, godly, and winsome behavior on the part of Christians could show these rumors to be false and might even win some of the unsaved critics to the Lord. Don't write off people because they misunderstand Christianity; instead, show them Christ by your life. The day may come when those who criticize you will praise God with you.
*1 Peter 2:16 Christians have freedom in Christ, but the apostles defined freedom more narrowly than the normal use of the word in common language. Christians use freedom as a tool for life of exuberant service. It's the foundation that God gives to us to reach our highest potential. Because God gives us freedom from religious rules and eternal guilt, we must not seek to indulge our own desires; instead, we should reach for the best God has for us. Let your freedom sing of power, joy, and love--accountable to God, devoted to others.



1 Peter 2:13–17
Peter urges his readers to respect all human authorities--the good and the bad. This is different from today where the people are constantly challenging and questioning the authorities.


It is very difficult to see things from God’s perspective, sometimes nearly impossible. However, we should always remember that God has a plan for EVERYONE. When we disagree with the authorities, we need to remember that God put them there in the first place (Christian or not! Read the Book of Esther for a vivid illustration of this scenario). If they are leading horribly, they have to answer to God on judgment day. If we follow badly, we have to answer to God on judgment day. What does this mean? Well, God is very clear. We are to submit to every authority God has instituted among men. Good or bad leaders, we have to submit to them. This means to show proper respect REGARDLESS of how good or bad a leader they are. This respect is given because of our reverence to God's sovereignty. This doesn't mean we allow ourselves to be in an abusive environment. This means we leave the judgment in the hands of God, and we just go on doing good work. We let our good work show others the light. We do not turn to evil just so we can obtain justice by our own hands. Doing evil against evil is not righteous in God’s eyes.


Life Application Study Bible
*1 Peter 2:13-17 When Peter told his readers to respect all human authority, he was speaking of the Roman Empire under Nero, a notoriously cruel tyrant. Obviously he was not telling believers to compromise their consciences; as Peter had told the high priest years earlier, "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29). But in most aspects of daily life, it was possible and desirable for Christians to live according to the law of their land. Today, some Christians live in freedom while others live under repressive governments. All are commanded to cooperate with the rulers as far as conscience will allow. We are to do this "for the Lord's sake" - so that his Good News and his people will be respected. If we are to be persecuted, it should be for obeying God, not for breaking moral or civil laws.


1 Peter 2:18-31
I think some people take the idea of suffering to the wrong extreme, and we need to be careful about how we understand what Peter is saying here.


Peter, using Jesus as an example, showed us how we can continue to submit to authorities, even when the authorities are evil and harsh. WHY DID JESUS DO THAT? Because if Jesus used His powers as God and judged them, Jesus would not have been able to redeem us as man! Jesus needed to live PERFECTLY as a MAN in order for His blood to bring eternal salvation to mankind! Thus, if Jesus had not submitted to authorities, He would have sinned in the eyes of God! He would not have been able to die as a perfect man, and his blood wouldn’t have been able to wash away our sin!


Thus, Peter is using Jesus as an example to show us how we can continue to live righteously even when our environment is hostile to our living.


The key here is LIVING RIGHTEOUSLY. It is NOT about suffering pointlessly.


Paul warned us that we will be persecuted when we choose to follow Christ (2 Timothy 3:12). Therefore, we suffer BECAUSE we live righteously, BECAUSE we are the light. Our righteous living and our light disturb those who want to continue to live in the dark, those who want to continue to live sinful lives. We suffer because these people want to get rid of us, want to pull us down, want us to fall and never get up so that they would no longer be disturbed by our light and could go on doing whatever they want. This was why Jesus suffered. This was why Jesus was persecuted. The Pharisees could not stand Jesus’ righteousness. The Pharisees wanted to be the ones in power, the ones who were right, the ones who got to judge everybody else. And when Jesus came along, telling them that they are wrong and need to repent, instead of allowing the light to shine through them, they blocked that light and killed that light. They killed Jesus so that they could shut Jesus up!


So, the question isn’t about how do we suffer. That’s not the point. The point is, how do we live righteously? When we live righteously, we will be persecuted. This is why Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). And we bear it because Christ bore it so that He could die a perfect man for us. We bear it because righteous living teaches us that God will judge everyone, and we are not the judge.


We show others we are God’s people by living out God’s values and doing God’s work. If we used evil against evil, we are no different than the people of the world, and then, how are we going to be living proof to them about the glory of God? We strive to live righteously as Jesus lived. Jesus lived righteously so that He could bring us salvation. We live righteously so that we can show people the light and bring them to Jesus.


Personally, I think being persecuted is a good sign. It tells me that I’m doing my job as a Christian, that I’m shining the light, that I’m doing God’s work. So for me, persecution is encouragement. I see it as a healthy "side effect" of living righteously. I’d rather be doing God’s work than telling people lies and hiding behind lies just so my life would be easier.


Life Application Study Bible:
*1 Peter 2:18-21 Many Christians were household slaves. It would be easy for them to submit to masters who were gentle and kind, but Peter encouraged loyalty and perseverance even in the face of unjust treatment. In the same way, we should submit to our employers, whether they are considerate or harsh. By so doing, we may win them to Christ by our good example. Paul gave similar advice in his letters (see Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-4:15), as did Jesus (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32-36).

*1 Peter 2:21, 22 We may suffer for many reasons. Some suffering is the direct result of our own sin; some happens because of our foolishness; some is the result of living in a fallen world. Peter is writing about suffering that comes as a result of doing good. Christ never sinned, and yet he suffered so that we could be set free. Jesus' suffering was part of God's plan (Matthew 16:21-23; Luke 24:25-27, 44-47) and was intended to save us (Matthew 20:28; 26:28). All who follow Jesus must be prepared to suffer (Mark 8:34, 35). Our goal should be to face suffering as he did - with patience, calmness, and confidence that God is in control of the future.
*1 Peter 2:24 Christ died for our sins, in our place, so we would not have to suffer the punishment we deserve. This is called "substitutionary atonement".