Thursday, September 28, 2023

            Praise is a part of daily Christian living.  Praise is offered to God by His people. As believers, praise is part of our lives and an integral part of our worship experiences.  Peter was not a stranger to praise.  He chose to open his first letter with a rather lengthy statement of praise.  He identified both the subject of his praise and the reasons for his praise.  In his own words, Peter wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:3-6).  If we take a deeper look into 1 Peter, we find some words that speak to us today.
            First, Peter identified the subject of our praise—the One to whom we offer our daily praise.  He wrote that we give praise to God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Any praise we receive for anything we might have done should be offered to the Father.  All praise belongs to Him.  We have no right to lay claim to any praise of our own.  The word “praise” can also mean adored—when we praise the Father, we offer our adoration and love as well.  We adore who He is and what He has done.  If we boast about anything, we should boast about the Lord and what He has accomplished for us and given to us.    
            Second, Peter identified multiple reasons for offering praise to the Father.  He is praised for giving us a new birth.  You may recall Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 where this man struggled with trying to understand how a fully-grown man like him might ever re-enter his mother’s womb to be born again.  Jesus had to clarify that this new birth, or second birth, was a work of the Holy Spirit and not the normal human birth.  This new birth that the Lord offers is a chance to start over and to start anew—the slate has been cleaned and erased.  The old life has been exchanged for the new one.  We have died to the old ways and the old sins and we have been raised to new life in and with Christ.    
            We praise the Father for the living hope that we have in Christ.  This hope includes the promise of resurrection and eternal life when life on this earth comes to an end for each of us.  Jesus’ resurrection guarantees the resurrection of His people.  We do not have to live in doubt or confusion.  We can be confidently certain that we will live for eternity in the company of Christ and the confines that He has prepared for us (see John 14:1-7). God WILL gather His people to enjoy eternity with Him and to fill up the many rooms that we find in the Father’s house.   
            We praise the Father for the inheritance that we already possess in Christ.  This inheritance “can never perish, spoil or fade” because it is “kept in heaven.”  Many of the things that humans value today are subject to ruin, decay and breaking down.  Treasures can be lost or quickly stolen.  But what God gives to us in His Son is safe, secure and sheltered in heaven.  Our inheritance includes forgiveness and grace.  This inheritance includes everlasting life and a place in the Father’s house.  We already possess an unbreakable relationship with Christ that can never be lost or taken from us.  In such things, Peter says that we “greatly rejoice.”  If we find ourselves facing a trial or hardship, we can easily take time to remember what we already possess and enjoy.  The good news about this inheritance that we have from the Father is that we already possess it—in reality and certainty.  We might have to wait until someone passes away to gain an earthly inheritance.  But we already possess, by faith, what God has set aside for us in Christ.
            Peter wrote these words to help us have an informed praise.  We can certainly praise God for the blessings we see and experience each day.  Many of these blessings are temporal in nature.  So, Peter invited us to look deeper into what the Father has chosen to give us in the Son.  These blessings are praiseworthy too because we already possess them.  Sitting down to eat lunch with a friend is usually more special than merely a possibility or promise to eat at some point in the future.  So, God has already given us these blessings.  We possess them now and we will enjoy them forever—in this world and beyond. He has already invited us to the table to fellowship with Him.
            One reason Peter may have prioritized praise is because of his special relationship with Jesus during the Lord’s earthly ministry.  He knew Jesus well and firsthand—much like you know your best friend, child, sibling or spouse.  The old apostle’s passion was for others to know Jesus as he knew Him—intimately, personally and eternally.  Jesus simply changed his life and made him a fisher of men instead of a fisherman.  The change that Christ can bring today is a reason for praise.  Praise Him boldly for who He is and all that He has done.  Have a great day!  Remember you can worship any time at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.