Facing the trials 1Peter 1:1-9

"You love him even though you have never seen him.  

Though you do not see him now, you trust him; 

and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.  

The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls."

Peter is lifting up the believers in what is today's Turkey.   Telling them about the salvation of Christ because of his resurrection, and then about the joy we need to have when facing trials, because of our great inheritance in heaven.    It's a motivational speech to those that are suffering, it's a hope to cling to when things look worst.

For the pessimist in us, we look at this and you want to think that Peter is just hoping that by saying positive things that the believers will stick it out.    The promise of a great reward at the end.   It's easy to promise something will come when your not the one supplying the promise.   So what's the difference between what Peter is saying versus what... lets say governments say to people to keep them in line, or what terrorist groups say to their suicide bombers?

Here are some marked differences:

• Peter was there when Christ was crucified, and he saw the risen Saviour .... along with over 500 other people.   This is why at the beginning of this passage, Peter emphasizes "because God raised Jesus from the dead.  Now we live in great expectation."    It's not that Peter came out of nowhere and promised these things, it's that he knew Christ intimately, he knew the truth of Christ, and the power of God.   
• Peter wasn't living in a vacuum, he wasn't having a good time of living out his faith either, there was persecution where he was, not just who he was writing too.   If history is correct, he probably suffered the worst out of the disciples, being crucified upside down on a cross.
• There is nothing earthly in his promise... there isn't a promise of something that doesn't line up with what we know of the hereafter.    It is salvation and the glory of God, not a new camel, or a thousand sheep and lots of women waiting for us, but the promise of the coming of Christ, salvation, and out of reach of change and decay.
• The people he is writing for are suffering, but they already have that joy, that inexpressible joy.   Peter is just lifting up the people for what they are already doing.  

Life isn't a cakewalk, and if it is, then your not angering the enemy enough, because 'carrying our cross' is one of the things that we as believers do.   But I do know that as much as life wants to kick us, there is joy in the Lord that allows us to stand throughout adversity.   We do have a hope, that is beyond this world.  We are foreigners in a strange land, and I look forward to the day when I can meet the Lord, and talk with the maker of my salvation.  What a great and real hope we have in Christ.