Why did Peter write this book? It's in his closing:
5:20 My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
I Peter is all about enduring under trials. Our trials are God's grace for us? I guess we experience His grace more as He helps us to endure. He explains more about trials at the beginning of his book:
1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
We are all accountable for our actions and God has no favorites:
1:17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.”
Again, we are reminded that this world is not our home:
2:11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
When I read and thought about this next verse, I had a visual image of the majesty of Christ.
3:22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before Him.
Do we really think about what is happening in heaven? We were just reminded the world is not our home - heaven is. And right now in heaven everyone is bowing to the aouthority and honor of Jesus. That is what true faith is - bowing to the authority of Jesus even when we can't 'see' Him.
The end of the world is coming soon - what are we to do?
7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
God has given us all gifts - are they so that people can 'praise us' for what we do?
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
No, when we exercise our gifts we only do it as God works through us - all praise and glory and honor belong to Him, not us. It's so easy for us to take the credit. God, forgive us and remind us that it is Your Son working through us - Christ in me, the hope of glory.
We must give all our gifts and reasources to God. All of us is his. But it was never ours, but most of us cling to what we don't truly own. Let us give it up so God can give us ultimate life.
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