1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance that is undying, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Jesus once spoke of being born again to Nicodemus when he came at night, wanting to know how to enter heaven. Yet in Psalm 51, David wrote, asking you to create a changed heart. All this is connected. The Savior promised in the Old Testament would be the one to come, bringing your righteousness to us all; Jesus was the Savior that the Old Testament referenced. We hold to the promise that you fulfilled. The change of heart comes to us by faith in our Savior, which the Holy Spirit delivers through the Word and Sacraments.
Through your divine wisdom and great mercy, you have linked us together in Jesus’ baptism. In our baptism, faith begins and connects us to his baptism, signifying our new birth through this sacrament, as we are united with Jesus’ death, which became our death. Since he rose from the dead, we too have the hope of eternal life because we are tied to Christ’s resurrection, and salvation is ours. This hope comes to us as an inheritance because we are adopted into your holy family of saints, brought to us by faith in our Savior, Jesus.
Heavenly Father, protect us according to Your promise written in Your Word. Continue to keep Your Word before us so that Your power protects us until we breathe our last on this earth; please never let my faith reject You. We also ask that You give us many opportunities to share our hope of salvation with others so that they, too, will know Your love, mercy, and protection. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God loves you in this way: He gave His one and only Son to live, die, and rise for you so that you can have the hope and promise of eternal life. Through faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection, your sins are forgiven, and you inherit your place in heaven.