1 Peter: Set ApartSample

A Future Hope

1 Peter ends with Peter encouraging believers to stand firm in their faith because what we will experience in God’s kingdom is greater than any suffering we may experience here on earth. Because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, Peter encourages us to love and serve others with humility towards each other.

When Peter mentions humbling ourselves before the Lord under the mighty hand of God, this brings to mind the exodus out of Egypt where the Lord delivered them with a “mighty hand.”

What he is saying is that those who suffer can also be confident that the day of humiliation will not last forever. Whether later on in your earthly life, but certainly for everyone when believers meet Jesus face to face, God will exalt his people at the proper time.

Again, Peter is pointing us toward our future inheritance in God’s kingdom to encourage us in the current difficulties of life, knowing what we are experiencing now won’t last forever. So we can cast our cares on Him. Why? Because God cares for you. Your suffering is not a punishment because God is angry with you. While it is true that some suffering comes from poor decisions we have made, that has no bearing on God’s care for you.

What Peter is driving out in this chapter is that the promise of our future glory gives us hope in our present hardships. The book ends with the main theme of the entire letter in mind, which is that the promise of our future glory gives us hope in our present hardships. We can face suffering and difficulties differently than others because we know this isn’t the end.

What God has graciously given us through Christ, and what he will graciously give us in his future Kingdom, gives us hope to endure. This life is hard, but it’s not the end.

Today’s reflection

How does knowing this present life isn’t all there is and we will one day live in God’s perfect kingdom, help you endure through present hardships?

Going Deeper

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