1 Peter 1:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

NIV: 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.

NASB: who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

CSB: You are being guarded by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

NLT: And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

KJV: Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

NKJV: who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In verses 3 and 4, Peter revealed that God has caused us to be born again to a living hope and a forever inheritance of limitless worth. Now he writes that the merciful God who gives us those great gifts is also actively guarding us, right in this moment.

Guarding us from what, suffering? No, as Peter will soon say, we will suffer. God is guarding our inheritance, and He is guarding us from anything that might cause our inheritance—our eternal life with Him forever—to be lost. The Greek term used in this verse is phrouroumenous, a military term, also translated as "shielded," "kept," or "protected."

We are being guarded by God's power. How powerful is God? How able is He? He is the God who created the universe. He is the God who raised Christ from the dead. He is the God of all. He is able. We are being guarded by God's power through faith. It's not our faith that is powerful. It is God. But it is a faith through which this relationship with God began and is maintained. We trusted Him to save, and we continue to trust that He will do everything necessary to keep us saved.

By God's grace, through faith, we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8–9), from the eternal penalty of our sin. We are being saved from the power of sin, growing more and more like Jesus. And, in this verse, Peter writes that we will be saved, even from the presence of sin, in Heaven. That is, our salvation will be fully revealed at just the right time. Until then, God guards us so that nothing can take that away.

1 Peter 1:3–12 is one of the most loved passages in all of Scripture. It begins as a blessing to God, but also describes how incredibly He has blessed us in Christ. Because Jesus has risen from the dead, our hope is not a wish—it is as alive as He is. Our inheritance as God’s children is eternal, full of glory, and secured forever. Even in our suffering, we have every reason to rejoice. The mystery of God’s plan has been revealed to us in Christ. We are being saved!

Peter, the apostle of Jesus, writes a letter to Christians facing persecution to comfort them with the truth of who they are in Christ—children of God with every reason to rejoice in their salvation and future glory in eternity. Next, he urges them to live like the holy ones of God they already are by obeying God now, loving each other earnestly, and placing all of their hope in the endless life to come.

This beautiful, profound, and challenging first chapter of 1 Peter lays the foundation for the rest of Peter’s letter. In spite of whatever suffering we may face, God Himself has already shown us great mercy in Christ by including us in His family! Jesus is our living hope. Our future is secure and endless and perfect. As the children of God we have every reason to rejoice, even in this present darkness. Peter then calls us to prepare ourselves to live as the holy people God has made us to be.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.