Lesson 28

FIRST DAY: Read the notes with references.

1.

2.

SECOND DAY:
3.

• The recipients were God's elect.
• Facts about them:  They were strangers in the world; they were scattered; they were chosen according to God's foreknowledge; they are sanctified (set apart) by the Spirit of God, through obedience to Christ, and the sprinkling of His blood; they have an inheritance that will never parish, spoil or fade; they have been given new birth; they have living hope.

4.

• The Characteristics of our salvation is new birth, or to be "Born Again" (spiritually speaking) in to the family of God.  Moreover, the character of our salvation will reflect "spiritual realities" in our life.  The spiritual realities are, mercy, grace, hope, love, and an inexpressible and glorious joy that can only come from knowing Jesus personally.

1. I rejoice because God loves and excepts me just as I am today.  He doesn't see me for who I am today, but instead, He sees me for who I am becoming; in Christ Jesus.
2. I rejoice, because I don't have to "earn" my way in to heaven.  If I did, I would never know the love of God.  Praise be to God for our inexpressible and glorious salvation through our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

5.

Any trial that I go through, large or small, is God's way of working out impurities in my life.  God never wastes pain resulting from trials.  He often uses our pain to draw us closer to Him.  When we are purified through the fire of trials, we will begin to look more and more like Him after awhile.  We will have no other option but to give Him praise, and glorify Him, and honor Him, for the work of purification he is doing in my life.

THIRD DAY:
6. a.
God wants us to live for Him and Him alone.  This means we need to be self-controlled and focused on heavenly matters rather than earthly matters.  

b.
Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly.

7.
Peter's audience was Old Testament believing Jews who understood sacrificing lambs without blemish or defect was a "costly" way of atoning for their peoples sin.  When the Old Testament Jews heard this message from Peter, they could immediately recall from Old Testament scripture that a "Passover Lamb" was coming that would fulfill the need for animal sacrifices once and for all. 


"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  Heb. 10:10.  


Peter tried to explain that Jesus was and is the fulfillment of all Old Testament types and shadows.  He paid the supreme cost (His perfect spotless and blameless life) as a ransom for many peoples sin.  Thank you, Jesus!

8. a.
The perishable seed is the physical seed that enabled us to be born in to our earthly family, but the imperishable seed is the spiritual seed that enables us to be born in to God's family now and forever.  

b.
I was dragged to a Steve Camp concert in 1989.  I was exploring Christ at a deeper level at the time, but I really wasn't interested in going to a "Christian" concert.  I'm grateful to the individual who dragged me there, because it was the first time in my life I saw a genuine heartfelt love for Jesus by any man.  I knew right then and there I wanted to love Jesus with that much conviction in my own heart.  Thank you God for "wooing" me, and drawing me near to you.

FOURTH DAY:
9.

• Jesus is the foundation/corner stone for building the Church body in to a spiritual house.  The foundation/cornerstone is the first piece in the building project.  

1. Precious cornerstone - While precious, and priceless, access to this precious cornerstone is not out of reach for those that put their trust in Him.  People can freely accept God's precious gift of salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life.  
2. A capstone - A capstone is the last piece that is put on.  So, Jesus is the cornerstone (the first) and the capstone (the last).  He is also the Alpha and Omega.  Praise God!  Thank you, Jesus!
3. A stone and rock that makes men fall and stumble - They stumble because they disobey the message.  They should rightly respond to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

10.
They refuse to believe that Jesus is who he says he is.  Many believe, even the demons believe, but they don't put Him first in their lives and live to fulfill His will for their lives.

11.

• A chosen people; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; a people belonging to God; people who have received mercy.
• I would say being called a royal priesthood means the most to me.  I grew up Catholic, and at a very early stage in my life, I thought I had a calling on my life to enter the Catholic priesthood.  It's comforting to know I never missed God's calling on my life to enter the priesthood.  Albeit, in a different way than I understood at the time.  

12. a.
When God saved us, He began molding us in to the image of Jesus, the Lamb of God, so that we can reflect the nature and character of God. We must remember who we are now in Christ.  We do this by continually abstaining from earthly desires that wage war against our spiritual being.

b.
I've always been influenced by a missionary friend of mine.  I admire how he gave up all the comforts of home to plant churches over seas.  His life has always inspired me and makes me realize I can always die to self more than I do now.

FIFTH DAY:
13.
We are to obey civil authorities for the Lord's sake, so that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His people will be respected and known for their humility.  Many in our society today do not humble themselves toward civil authorities and therefore are considered prideful and rebellious.  

14.
Respect for those in positions of authority, loyalty to our employers (being thankful we have work, even under harsh conditions), perseverance (knowing the harsh conditions may not always be), which are all commendable to God.   When we do this, we join Christ in unjust suffering.  Christ suffered for us first, leaving us an example of how to suffer and to persevere in unjust suffering of our own.

15.
Respect, loyalty, perseverance, which are all commendable to God.   When we do this, we join Christ in unjust suffering.  Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to persevere in unjust suffering.

SIXTH DAY:
16.
That I would always seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else I need in life will added in God's timing.

17.