7. These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold can be destroyed. But the purity of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes again.
8. You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory.
9. Your faith has a goal, to save your souls. And you are receiving that goal—your salvation.
10. The prophets searched carefully and tried to learn about this salvation. They spoke about the grace that was coming to you.
11. The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets. And the Spirit was telling about the sufferings that would happen to Christ and about the glory that would come after those sufferings. The prophets tried to learn about what the Spirit was showing them. They tried to learn when those things would happen and what the world would be like at that time.
12. It was shown to them that their service was not for themselves. It was for you. They were serving you when they told about the truths you have now heard. The men who preached the Good News to you told you those things. They did it with the help of the Holy Spirit that was sent from heaven. These are truths that even the angels want very much to know about.
13. So prepare your minds for service and have self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ comes again.
14. In the past you did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. But now you are children of God who obey. So do not live as you lived in the past.
15. But be holy in all that you do, just as God is holy. God is the One who called you.
16. It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”
17. You pray to God and call him Father. And this Father judges each man’s work equally. So while you are here on earth, you should live with respect for God.
18. You know that in the past you were living in a worthless way. You got that way of living from the people who lived before you. But you were saved from that useless life. You were bought, but not with something that ruins like gold or silver.