1Pe 1:13-25

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Fruits of salvation (1Pe 1:13-2:3)

Now that Christians have received such a great salvation, they should discipline their thoughts and behaviour so that they will always be ready for the return of Jesus Christ (1Pe 1:13).

They should think and act not according to their former habits, but according to the ways of God. They should pattern their character not on the people of the sinful society around them, but on the holy God (1Pe 1:14-16).

As Christians reverence God as their Father and Judge, they will want to be more holy in their daily lives (1Pe 1:17).

Their appreciation of what Christ has done for them will also make them want to be more holy; for his death, and nothing else, can set people free from the worthless manner of life passed down from one generation to the next (1Pe 1:18-19).

God planned salvation from eternity, and brought it to reality through the death of Christ. He showed it to be perfect by raising Christ from death, and sinners prove that it works when they put their trust in him (1Pe 1:20-21).

Believers can show that they have received cleansing and been given new life, by acting with sincere love towards each other (1Pe 1:22).

This new life comes through accepting the gospel, and because the gospel is God’s word, not man’s, the new life is permanent. Things born of human origins die, but things born of God do not (1Pe 1:23-25).

Since believers are to exercise love towards each other, they must remove from their lives all attitudes and actions that hinder love. They were born into this new life through the Word of God, and the only way to grow is through feeding on that same Word (1Pe 2:1-3).