Verses 1-2
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God knew how we would respond to the gospel, that we would hear and repent, so He chose us for salvation on that prior knowledge.
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And He saved us by sending His Son to offer His blood, and by sending the Holy Spirit to wash us. And for what purpose? That we would become obedient to Him.
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God has saved us from sin and from His wrath, but He has saved us for obedience. In other words, now that you are saved, you are empowered to become obedient to God. You should rejoice in this. Living for obedience is what it means to live saved (Romans 16:26)!
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Verses 3-5
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Because Jesus is alive, raised from death, and seated in heaven, we know that we also will be raised from death and receive an inheritance in God's kingdom. This is the form of salvation that we are waiting for.
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If you ever feel down, remember this hope that you have in Christ!
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And God, by His power, does His part to keep us saved by providing us with the faith that we must choose to continue in (Colossians 1:22-23).
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Keep your mind focused on the Word—to read and to do it—and this will keep you in faith.
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Verses 6-9
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In this life, we will experience hardships, but these hardships are actually needed for our faith to be refined. Hardships help to perfect our faith, so that it will be only praiseworthy, having no flaw.
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If we stay focused on our faith in Jesus, and the hope of our salvation, even in the hardest of times, we will still have great joy.
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If you need more joy in your life, or are feeling down because of suffering, remember two things:
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1. Suffering will strengthen your faith and grow you (James 1:2-4)
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2. Your salvation is waiting for you, and that you will see Christ one day.
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Verses 10-12
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We should greatly rejoice when we remember our salvation because of how precious it is. Both prophets of old and angels desire the salvation we now have in Christ.
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The prophets of the Old Testament were given glimpses of the grace and glory that we have in Christ, and they gave their lives to prophesy the message that we now believe. Prophets sacrificed everything for our benefit!
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Knowing this, value your salvation! Don't ever take it for granted. Think of the prophets who sacrificed their lives to receive and preserve the message that has become the gospel.
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Verses 13-16
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Peter's instruction here is simple. Live obedient to God and be holy!
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But to do this, start by fixing how you think. If you want to live right, you need to think right.
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Set your mind on the gospel by reading the Word daily. And remove thinking that will trip you up by avoiding consuming content that distracts from the Word or that contradicts the Word. You can use prayer to keep your mind even more focused.
Verses 17-20
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God will judge us, to a point, based on our actions as believers, so live seriously.
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Remember that Christ—God in the flesh who planned to come to us from before time began—suffered and shed His blood to save you, so honor Him and His sacrifice by living right.
Verse 21
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Jesus came from God. If you have Jesus you have God.
Verses 22-25
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Since the Holy Spirit has purified you, and since God's Word has made you a reborn, new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), live a new life and live purely by loving others sincerely.
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Know that since God's Word lasts forever, your salvation lasts forever.