“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. 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. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
In these final verses of Peter’s letter, some words jump off the page at me: share, restore, support, and strengthen. There is so much we miss about who God is and what the Christian life is supposed to be like, because these words are not usually the first ones that come to mind. God wants to share his glory with you. Not only that, he has called us to share his glory. He is pursuing us so that he can give us an eternal inheritance.
God’s work is inherently restorative. From the moment sin entered the world, God has been at work to restore his creation. He offers us support and strengthens us. Peter offers this encouragement so that his readers, both back then and now, will understand God’s grace.
Here’s your freedom for today: you can be confident of God’s grace for you. His grace is a real spiritual power that saves us, since the Old Testament law proved that no one could save themselves. God’s grace is not too good to be true. It is real. The freedom that Jesus offers you is “truly part of God’s grace for you.” What does his grace look like in your life today? Are there ways you are doubting God’s grace as if it is too good to be true?
Invite your friends to join us tomorrow as we begin a new series!