FANTASTIC OFFERS

FANTASTIC OFFERS

READ:
1 Peters 1:3-9

[God's] abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living
hope through the resurrection
of Jesus.  - 1 Peter 1:3

I am amazed at the unbelievable offers that flood my e-mail box every day.  Recently, I added up the offers of free money that came to me in a week, and my "take" totaled $26 million.  But each of those offers was a fraud.  Every one-from a $1 million prize to a $7 million offer-was nothing but a lie sent by unscrupulous people to squeeze money from me.

We're all vulnerable to fantastic offers-to scams that in reality pay off with nothing but trouble.  We are offered false hope that ends in dashed dreams.

There is one offer, however, that is genuine, though fantastic beyond belief.  It's the offer God makes to us-salvation through faith in Jesus' finished work on the cross:  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).  It is an offer that cost Him greatly-and we get the benefits.  The book of Romans tells us, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (4:25 NIV).

By saying yes to salvation, we can have hope (Titus 1:2), peace (Romans 5:1), forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7), incomparable riches (2:7), and redemption (4:30).  This is the real deal.  Jesus' death and resurrection guarantees it. - Dave Branon

Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? - Wesley
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Our salvation was infinitely costly to God,
but it is absolutely free to us.

INSIGHT
Peter wrote to encourage believers in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who were being persecuted because they were Christians.  Such troubles are to be expected (1 Peter 4:12), and they prove the reality and quality of faith (1:7).  Believers can "greatly rejoice" (v.6) in the privilege of following Jesus' example (2:21), participating not only in Christ's sufferings but also in His glory (1:7; 4:13).  Because of its focus on undeserved suffering and unequivocal submission to God's sovereignty, 1 Peter is sometimes referred to as "the Job of the New Testament."

Have a blessed day and week ahead.
God Our Creator's Love Always.
Unity & Peace