At the end of the Apostle Peter’s first letter to the churches we hear the great promise that gives us hope in our present suffering. As sojourners in this world, our suffering comes in many forms. In this passage, the suffering is in the form...
The command to humble ourselves is based on the promise that God gives grace to those who do so. Humility is a posture of mind and heart that is consistent with the reality that God is Lord. It is an attitude toward God and others....
“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said to Peter just before he ascended into heaven. Peter carried out his ministry to the sojourning and suffering congregations with these words ringing in his ears. Now, he is passing the exhortation on to elders who will do the same....
The congregation that is faithful to Christ and helpful to suffering sojourners prays effectively, loves earnestly, shows hospitality, and stewards the gifts of God by serving one another. As the church is obedient in these things, the Lord glorifies his name in the world. Each...
Some level of suffering is inevitable for the follower of Christ. This passage exhorts Christians to arm themselves with the attitude of Christ for the purpose of suffering. These mindset munitions include living for the will of God, rejoicing in our partnership with Christ, and...
Jesus suffered in our place so that we would be made right with God, and is now exalted and above all things. Christians find strength in this Good News, knowing that He has rescued us from sin and death, and will come again to rescue...
Christian sojourners are citizens of Christ’s kingdom who live in the world. This will bring some level of suffering to the ones who remain faithful to Christ. When we suffer for righteousness sake, there is a way to respond that brings honor to Christ, keeps...
From the government to the workplace to marriage, Peter now turns to the congregation to exhort Christians to express honorable qualities among themselves. When Christians live together in this way, they glorify Christ, sustain one another through the sufferings of the sojourning life, and show...
Marriage matters, and God calls husbands and wives to live honorably in their marriages. If we believe this, we will look and listen to what God has revealed in the Bible about marriage, receive what he said a marriage is, and conform our lives as...
The workplace provides a place to do good work, earn a living, and reflect the grace of God. When the workplace becomes a hardship for Christians, we have a particular way to live honorably by following the example of Christ. Our driving motivation is always...
