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Grace Means...Invitation

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1 Peter 3:18-22 Up to this point in his letter, Peter has been telling us to honor those in authority over us even if they are unjust because our suffering serves a purpose. He tells us that we will receive blessings from God the Father for our submission. In 1 Peter 2:21 and following, he gives the example of Jesus Christ to show how we can find strength and courage to face the trials in our lives.  In 1 Peter 2:23, Peter says, “He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Trusting and believing in God the Father is where Jesus found His strength, and this is where Peter tells us to find our strength. When Jesus’ disciples were facing their greatest trial, Jesus said: John 14:1 (NKJV) Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. Jesus told the disciples to trust Him on the night that He was betrayed and arrested. He did this to prepare them because everything they were about to see would seem to contradict the truth that Jesus is the Son o
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Grace Means...Blessing

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  1 Peter 3:8-17 Today's passage begins with the word "Finally." This is because the verses we are looking at are a recap of Peter's instructions about submission. In the thoughts that follow this, "finally," we find the motivation and heart attitude behind our "submission" as believers.  The primary motivation that Peter outlines is our blessedness as Christians. We, of all creatures, are blessed. Let's begin by considering three possible meanings of the word "blessed." These three are not all the possible meanings, but these are the meanings pertinent to our discussion today. 1 Peter 1:3 says: 1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... In this case, "blessed" means "praised," and the word in the original Greek text is a word that is used only of God. This sentence could be translated, "Praise.  be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Anothe
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Grace Means Submission

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1 Peter 3:1-7 In every age, since humanity left the Garden of Eden, men and women experience conflict in their relationships. As much as we would like our marriages to be romantic, beautiful, and perfect, they aren ’ t. Because of sin, our relationships are messed up. Concerning this, God said: Genesis 3:16 (NKJV) To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” The serpent was cursed, and the woman and the man suffered consequences. For the man the Lord said: Genesis 3:17 (NKJV) Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. What concerns us today is what God said to the woman. The serpent and the ground were cursed, and the relationship between the man and the woman was broken. God was describing consequences to the man and the woman, but He did not curse them. Genesis 3:16 says that the wo
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