Please explain 1 Peter 1:3-5.

1 Peter 1:3-5 reads, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

There are such beautiful promises in this passage. For whom are these wonderful things promised, and what do they mean?

WHO IS PROMISED THIS BLESSING?

The greetings of 1 Peter address Christians.1 Peter 1:1,2 read, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, … who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."

So, the "us" in verse 3 is referring to those who are chosen according to God's foreknowledge, and are sanctified by the Spirit of God. Romans 8:29, "For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:”

Sanctifying Work of the Spirit

The sanctifying work of the spirit is God's power to change our characters and our actions to become more Christlike. Galatians 5:22,23 say, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

WHAT IS THE BLESSING PROMISED TO THESE?

God's great mercy has promised these:

**To be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.This promise is to be resurrected as Jesus was, with an incorruptible spirit body (see 1 Corinthians 15:44, "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spirit body.”).

**To obtain a heavenly inheritance which is imperishable -reserved for the saints to be revealed in the last time.

This inheritance is God's Kingdom, where they will rule as kings and priests for 1000 years, as it says in Revelation 20:4,,"they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Who are they ruling over?

As it says in Acts 15:17, "After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David (the nation of Israel) which has fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it (through God's favor), in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from old."

All the nations of the earth will be blessed, all who have ever lived will be resurrected, and this is the gospel…the good news!