In the celestial courts of eternity past,
The Father’s foreknowledge penned your name.
Chosen before the foundation of the world,
You stand, pilgrim, sanctified by the Spirit’s flame.
The blood of Christ, more precious than gold,
Sprinkles your conscience with divine grace.
Though scattered among the nations,
You are forever secure in His embrace.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
His abundant mercy has birthed you anew.
Through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead,
A living hope now courses through you.
An inheritance incorruptible awaits,
Undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven above.
By faith you are shielded for this salvation,
Ready to be revealed in the fullness of God’s love.
Rejoice, dear pilgrim, though now for a little while,
Various trials may test the mettle of your soul.
For the genuineness of your faith, more precious than perishable gold,
Is being refined by fire, making you whole.
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him still.
Though you do not see Him now, you believe.
And in this believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible,
Receiving the end of your faith: your soul’s reprieve.
The prophets of old searched intently,
Inquiring carefully of this grace to come.
The Spirit of Christ within them foretold,
The sufferings of Christ and the glories to come.
Angels long to look into these things,
These glad tidings now reported to you.
By the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
The mystery of ages is brought into view.
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind,
Be sober-spirited, fix your hope completely.
On the grace to be brought to you,
When Christ Jesus is revealed so sweetly.
As obedient children, do not conform,
To the passions of your former ignorance.
But as He who called you is holy,
Be holy in all your conduct, with reverence.
If you call on Him as Father who judges impartially,
Conduct yourselves with fear throughout your exile.
For you were ransomed from futile ways,
Not with perishable things, but with blood so vital.
Christ, like a lamb without blemish or spot,
Was foreknown before the foundation of the world.
But was made manifest in these last times for you,
That through Him, your faith and hope in God unfurled.
Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth,
For a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly.
From a pure heart, for you have been born again,
Not of perishable seed but of imperishable, eternally.
Through the living and abiding word of God,
Which remains forever when all else fades.
“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass;
The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains.”
This word is the good news that was preached to you,
A foundation unshakeable, a truth unchanging.
In it, find your strength for the pilgrim’s journey,
And let your heart be ever heavenward ranging.
So stand firm, beloved of God, in this grace in which you stand.
Though trials may come and the world may scorn,
Your inheritance is secure, your hope unshakeable,
For in Christ, you are eternally reborn.
Let your life be a testament to this imperishable hope,
A beacon of holiness in a world of shifting sand.
For you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
Called out of darkness into His marvelous light to stand.
In every trial, every joy, every moment of your sojourn,
Remember the price paid for your redemption.
Live in reverent fear, unwavering faith, and fervent love,
For you are kept by the power of God for final salvation.
