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In 1 Peter 5:12 Peter tells us the purpose of his letter: I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. Peter writes this letter to encourage exiled believers to stand firm until the end. This week let’s examine four reasons why Christians should stand firm.

First, Peter encourages believers to stand firm because an obedient Christian life is a life of grace. What does Peter mean when he says “this” is the true grace of God? What’s the “this” referring to? I believe Peter is referring to the entire letter. This relatively short letter is a good summary of the Christian life. And it’s a reminder that the Christian life begins and ends with grace.

 ​Notice how grace is the foundation for the Christian life in 1 Peter 1:3-5—Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

But the grace that Peter is inviting his readers to stand in bigger than the grace we receive when we become Christians. It is also grace when we behave as Christians. An obedient Christian life is a life of grace. Consider a brief overview of the Christian life according to Peter:

  • Living with hope is grace
  • Living a holy life is grace
  • Living with a healthy fear of God is grace
  • Loving others is grace
  • Hunger for God’s Word is grace
  • Being a part of a church family is grace
  • Submitting to our governing authorities is grace
  • Suffering in obedience to Jesus is grace
  • Husbands and wives obeying God’s Word about the home is grace
  • Resisting the temporary pleasures of the age is grace
  • Serving one another is grace
  • Having elders who shepherd well is grace
  • Casting our anxieties on Jesus is grace
  • Resisting Satan and his minions is grace

Perhaps you’re reading this and you’re thinking “Living this way is stifling!!! I want to be free!” So did the kite who wanted to be free from his string, the fish who wanted to be free from water, and the train that wanted freedom from the tracks. You are only free when you’re living how you were created to live.

Stand firm until the end because when you do, you’re standing in grace.