I've been rereading first Peter.  I love the guy.  John is nice, kind, loving.  Thomas is honest to a fault.  James is direct and exact in his writings.  But Peter is real.  He just tells it like it is.

He is writing to the Jewish Christians that have been driven out of Jerusalem, scattered due to persecution.  Trying to encourage them.  In verse 3b-5 he says:  "...Now we live in hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead...and God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him...So be truly glad!  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here."

I told you once that on the last day of Ken's life, he asked how he was going to get "there."  Not "was" he going to get there (he was very sure of his salvation), but "how."  I think that being a fighter pilot, he was wondering about the coordinates of the flight.

After he was gone, I was reading in his Bible and found the verses in 1 Peter 3-5 had the words "...will be sure you get there safely,"  underlined.  Ken's question had been from curiosity, not from a lack of trust.  I had told him that he was going to God soon and Ken had said, "Maybe God is coming to me."  I think he had it right.

Anyway.  Peter expresses things in a simple way.  I like that.  He continues the passage in verse 8 by saying, "You love him even though you have never seen him; though not seeing him, you trust him..."  That describes us.  We have never seen him.  But we love Him and trust Him.

The world doesn't understand that.  But our faith is not blind or ignorant faith.  It is faith in the historical record of the life of Jesus as given to us by men like Peter, James and John who knew him.  In the resurrection--witnessed by thousands.  That's how we're going to get there.  He conquered death for us.