Peter boils it all down to Revere God, Love others. The ability to do these two things springs from r4lationship with God.

The video link is here:

1 Peter 1:18-25

and the audio links are to the right.

Here is the transcript of today’s podcast:

1:18-25 Loving God, Loving Each Other

18 For you know 

For = “Because”. 

“Live your life in reverential fear (think “live your life in awe”)… 

BECAUSE you know…”

that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 

Money did not purchase your redemption – the Blood of Christ was the price paid for your adoption. 

The Greek word for “redeem” goes back to the institution of slavery in ancient Rome. Any representative first-century church would have three kinds of members: slaves, freemen, and freed men. Many times the money to buy one’s freedom would be provided by someone else, who purchased a person’s freedom from servitude. A freed man was a person who formerly had been a slave but was now set free. Jesus also described his ministry in this picture taken from slavery.

Mark 10:45

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What did the empty life of your ancestors get you? Did you find joy? Did it get you knowledge of the certainty of the life beyond the grave? Did that empty life give you the tools to live a pure and holy life? Did that empty life bring peace and joy? Only Christ does all of that.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 

“Chosen” connotes purpose (cf. Ro 11:2), giving the idea of predestination. That is, redemption was in God’s plan before the time of creation (cf. Eph 1:3-4). And now this redemption has been “revealed” in Jesus of Nazareth “in these last times.” With the coming of Jesus, the last age has come (cf., e.g., Ac 2:17; Heb 1:2; 9:26). Salvation in Christ, purposed from eternity, is now made plain, Peter tells his readers, “for your sake.” He personalizes it so as to spur them to a life of response to God.

Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

Copyright 2004.

Remember – even the prophets themselves did not know what has been revealed to you. In fact, this truth was kept hidden from the world until now. YOU are the first generation to hear of this and understand this.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Jesus’ resurrection is the foundation of our faith, and his glorification is the pledge of the hope of our new future.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] 

Love for non-Christians is not in view here, but of course it is also part of Christians’ obligations. Christians are enabled to love all people with true Christian love—a self-sacrificing desire to meet the needs of others that finds expression in concrete acts.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 

For = “Because”. You love, because you are born again. This is one of the signature concepts that resulted from being redeemed. You are redeemed, therefore you love. Your life is changed… because of that which does not change – God’s Word. The person of Christ is the foundation of this changed life. Why?

24 For,

For = “Because”.

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 

    but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

The theme of Isaiah’s prophecy is the perishable nature of all flesh and the imperishable nature of the Word of God. To the exiles in Babylon, the message was that while human help is weak, God’s promise of restoration will not fail. Placing your faith in anything but God – specifically, in Christ – is marked for failure, because only God lasts. This world, with all of its philosophies and self-proclaimed purveyors of truth will wither and die. God’s truth does not.

And this is the word that was preached to you.

You are redeemed, bought with the blood of the Christ. The Word of God which does not change is the foundation upon which we build our new lives. Everything the world teaches fades and withers. God’s words are as relevant today as they were when first written down by the prophets … whom by the way, did not understand what you now understand. As a result of your redemption, you now revere God, and obey Him. This is what was preached to you.

This reverence for God, this love for others – these are the signatures of a life of the Christ-follower.