Without seeing, the risen Jesus Christians love and believe in Him.
St Peter’s first epistle is a note of encouragement to Christians being
persecuted for the faith. He reminds them of the inheritance they have in
Christ Jesus due to His resurrection from the dead.
We who are in Christ will share in His resurrection and the blessings of
everlasting life with God in heaven. Having our eyes fixed on this eternal
reward gives us strength to bear with the burdens of this life, even
persecution.
Peter delivers the basics of the Christian faith; which includes hope
through the resurrection, v.3 faith, v.7 and love, v.8.
It is faith in the risen Christ who has never been seen. It is a faith
that is tested by suffering for the faith. Through faith, salvation is
received.
O God, for our redemption You gave Your only-begotten Son to the
death of the cross and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power
of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance
and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity
forever; [2]
Collect for
Thursday of the week of Easter 1: Father,
you gather the nations to praise your name. May all who are reborn in baptism
be one in faith and love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen [3] 13 April 2023
[1] The Risen
Christ, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Lutheran
Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for
Thursday of the week of Easter 1, For
All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The
American Lutheran Publicity Bureau,
Delhi, NY
No comments:
Post a Comment