1 Pet. 5:12- Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!
This week we would like to continue our study on the topic of True grace of God. Last week we had seen that the true grace of God is the power of God available for a believer to fulfil God’s purpose for him. No believer can do God’s purpose for him on his own. But under the New Covenant God is working on behalf of him and it will become a reality when he obeys the Holy Spirit.
Grace is God’s power. It
a) Saves us from sin and helps us to overcome temptation (Rom. 6:14, Heb. 4:16),
b) Makes us the one God wants us to be (1 Cor 15:10),
c) Gives a living hope of Christ’s second coming (2 Titus 2:11-13)
d) Makes us zealous for all good works (2 Titus 2:11-13).
e) Perfected in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9)
In our life, true grace is the most important thing. Here Holy Spirit commands us to stand firm in it. There is a great danger of slipping from true grace and falling to false grace. So we must take heed of the exhortation about true grace in this first epistle of Peter.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. God caused us to be born again to a living hope. Living hope is to become like Jesus when we see Him. “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John3:2-3). So when anyone who experience the true grace, purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure.
1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, Even though we are living in this world and we need many things of this world like money, health, Job, property etc but a born again believer, living under true grace is looking forward to and driving towards an inheritance reserved by His savior in heaven for him. All the earthly things are just for earthly need and will vanish like the mist.
1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.God’s power for Salvation is working in a believer at all times. So a believer who is experiencing the true grace will be trusting on God for His protective power from all temptation (Heb. 4: 16). He is waiting for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. He is sure that nothing can separate him from the love of God (Rom 8: 35-39)
1 Peter 1:10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, Old Testament prophets received revelation from God about the true grace that the New Covenant believers are going to experience – A real godly life, walking like Jesus on the earth itself and becoming like Jesus when they see Him (1 John 2:6, 3:2-3).
1 Peter 1:13 therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.If we are experiencing the true grace then we have to prepare our minds for action, keep sober in spirit, and fix our hope completely on the grace to be revealed at the coming Of Lord Jesus Christ. When we are living in this world we will have all kinds of thoughts that are contrary to the true grace. We must reject such thoughts put by the devil by keeping our minds in action and encourage ourselves continuously by putting our hope in the true grace.
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” When we yield to lust we become sinners (James 1:14-15) but If we are experiencing the true grace we will not yield to the lust and become holy in the face of every temptation caused by lust. Our call is to be holy in all behavior. The true grace helps us be holy like the God who called us. Many Christians are satisfied in their spiritual condition by looking around at the other Christians, who are failing to their lust. But we should not forget the one who called us is holy and He is giving us grace to be holy in all our behavior. Jesus is the only perfect example for us (Heb. 12:1-2). We can follow others in the areas that they are following Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.We are saved by Grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and true grace continues to remind us about our redemption by the precious blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
God caused us to become born again by the imperishable, living and enduring word of God. So the true grace reminds and helps us to live in the standard of the word of God.
1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
True grace will always encourage us to grow in salvation by putting away all ungodly/unrighteous/sinful things from our life and to have a thirst and hunger for the pure word of God. This is the true mark of born again experience.
1 Peter 2:5,9 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. God caused us to be born again to live as priests for Him in this world. True grace is leading us to Jesus and making us like Him pleasing the Father in all things.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous lightTrue Grace is making us a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soulTrue Grace is helping us abstain from all fleshly lust. We will be able to live as aliens and strangers to all fleshly lust by true grace.
1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,True grace always instructs us to obey all authorities at home, church, work place, government institutions etc. Any kind of rebellion towards God’s appointed authorities comes from the devil.
1 Peter 2:17-18 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.True Grace always helps us to give honor to all people, love brotherhood, and fear God. It helps us to be submissive to all authority in the area that God has placed them. Whether the authority is good or bad is irrelevant for us.
1 Peter 2:21-23 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
True Grace is showing Jesus as our example in all situations whether it is good or bad and helping us to follow in His footsteps all the time.
May God bless all of us to experience the true grace of God in our life
