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Report a Typo1Peter ◦ Chapter 1
1Peter, an ambassador of Jesus Christ, To fellow citizens of God’s kingdom of love and truth who are currently living throughout this world — in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia — as representatives of God’s government:2Before you were born, God determined to heal and purify you–transforming you to love others more than self–by the indwelling Spirit applying the Remedy of Jesus' victorious life. May God's healing and transforming presence and peace be upon you without limit.3Let the name and character of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive all glory, honor, and praise! In his great mercy, he has given us new life–healing, re-creation, and the cure for our terminal condition–through Jesus Christ's victorious resurrection from the dead.4Not only that, but through Jesus, we have a future without decay or death — a future that will endure forever and is kept safe in heaven; for we,5by trust, have our minds shielded by God's power of love and truth until the Day of full healing and restoration, which will occur at the end of time.6Rejoice greatly in this reality, even though now, for a little while, you may suffer pain, grief, and trials of all kinds.7These transient difficulties are allowed to come so that your confidence and trust in God– which is infinitely more valuable than gold, for even gold purified by fire will be destroyed–may be permanently established in your character, and result in praise, glory and honor to God when Jesus Christ comes again.8Even though you have not laid eyes on him, you love him; and even though you currently don't see him, you put your trust in him, and your hearts are overflowing with indescribable and perfect joy,9for you are experiencing the inevitable result of your trust in God–the healing, restoration and re-creation of your hearts, minds and characters into God's perfect ideal.10Regarding this healing and restoration: God's spokespersons, who taught God's gracious Remedy that would come to you, diligently and carefully searched for the truth11that would indicate the time and circumstances when Christ, through great suffering, would achieve victory over the infection that brings death, and restore God's glory in mankind, as the Spirit of Christ told them he would do.12God revealed to them that their work in writing the Scripture was not for themselves but to benefit you, for they wrote about things that have now come to pass and have been told to you by those who have shared the good news about God with you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels are studying these things and long for deeper understanding.13Therefore, prepare your minds to think, to reason, to weigh out the issues, and actively apply the truth to your lives, attaining self-governance–control over your own selves. Keep your vision, goals and hopes fixed on the full healing and restoration that will occur when Jesus Christ comes again.14As children who have thought through the issues and now understand God's principles and agree with his methods, no longer allow fear and selfish desires to control your actions as you did before you knew the truth about God.15But just as God is pure, undefiled and holy, accept his healing and live pure, undefiled and holy lives;16for God has said, "You will be pure and holy–just like me–for I am pure and holy."17Now that you are partaking of God's Remedy — that you are part of his family and are called by the Father's name — live your lives here on earth as visitors, with humble respect for others, for God freely allows every person to determine whether to accept his Remedy or not.18And you know very well that money, land or fame have not and can not free your minds from the infection of fear and selfishness you inherited from your parents;19but your minds were won back to love and trust in God when you understood and internalized the truth about God, revealed by Jesus — the perfect, sinless One.20He chose to reveal the truth about God — to be the Remedy — before the world was even created, but it was in these last days, for your sake, that he accomplished what he had previously chosen to do.21It is because of Jesus’ life and death that the lies of Satan are exposed, fear is removed, trust in God is restored, and the human species is restored back to perfection; and it is God who called Jesus to arise from the dead, and who glorified him–as he was fulfilling God’s purposes–therefore your trust and hope are in God.22Now that your hearts and minds have been cleansed and purified by your choice to accept, internalize and apply the truth — and as a result, your selfishness has been replaced with genuine love for others — you love one another deeply, completely, totally, from the heart.23For you have been recreated in mind, heart, and character: not from a defective self-centered template but from the perfect, eternal, immortal original–the living and everlasting character of God Himself!24 "People are as fleeting as grass–all their glory and achievements are as transitory as the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fade,25but the character of the Lord stands forever." And it was the truth about God's character, methods and principles as revealed by Christ that was preached to you.