75. Standing Firm in the True Grace of God

Stand Firm in the True Grace of God

Peter officially closes out the body of his letter in v11. To Him is the glory for ever and ever. Amen These next verses are a postscript, final notes of greetings. He mentions four people: Silvanus, himself, she who is in Babylon, and Mark who he refers to as his son. All of these mentioned are a testimony of the work of God’s grace in salvation and in making them fit for service in God’s kingdom. As I read these verses I want you to pay careful attention because nestled in and among these people Peter gives one final command

1Pe 5:6-14  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  (7)  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  (8)  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  (9)  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  (10)  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  (11)  To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  (12)  By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.  (13)  She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.  (14)  Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

General Observations

It is important to understand Scripture in context of Scripture. We cannot come to a right conclusion about a particular text without first understanding its place in relation to other Scripture. It is here in the postscript of Peter’s letter that we find his purpose for writing it. In this brief letter as he has described it, his purpose is the exhortation and declaration of the true grace of God. And having exhorted and testified of what the true grace of God is we are to stand firm in.

The command is ‘I have written to you briefly, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.’

The NKJV reads: I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

Why is one translation an imperative and another version declarative. The manner in which the Greek is written carries the meaning of both. In essence Peter is saying standing firm in the true grace of God. Stand firm in the true grace of God! But before we dive into the verbs of the command we must first look at the subject of the command – the true grace of God.

In this phrase we see two primary points. 1) The true grace of God and 2) Standing firm, stand firm in it

I. The True Grace of God

In this brief phrase there are three things that should grab our attention. Peter qualifies, quantifies and codifies grace. How does he do this? He qualifies it as true and originating in and from God.

1. Grace qualified. it is true grace as opposed to false grace. What is grace? Grace is unmerited favor. Why would Peter feel compelled to put the adjective true? Because of the false teaching about God’s grace which had already been making its way thought the churches.

2Pe 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

If Peter, through the inspiration of the Spirit feels the need to qualify grace could there have been teaching about false grace? For it to be true grace it must be free from even the least bit of error. A statement that is mostly true, but not all true is still false. We have all taken tests that were true/false. The statements had to be completely true in order to mark them true. The statement only had to include one little error in order to be marked false. True means to be absolutely true. And Peter further qualifies it as the true grace of God. Were it written as the true grace of Peter there is the inherent understanding that Peter, though an apostle, is not perfect. But God is perfect. We have said before that words find there fullest best expression in God. He is the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. Meaning He never changes. He is immutable. Where we would be right in our understanding that man may change our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The true grace of God operating in a believer’s life will always, without exception result in a changed life, a renewed heart for the things of God, and perseverance. Anyone who says they are a Christian and does not bear the fruit of repentance, a renewed heart to the things of God, and perseverance to the end is a false professor.

2. Grace quantified

It is quantified in regard to the Giver of this grace. Peter says it is the true grace of God. Grace is as limitless of the God who gives it. Our God is infinite in all His attributes. What does infinite mean? It means without measure. When we speak of our God He stands outside His creation and is not limited in space or time. We think of the vastness of the universe and God is greater still. In verse 10 we read that He is the God of all grace. Think again of the vastness of the universe and it would not begin to define the limits of God’s grace.

Isa 40:12-18  Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?  (13)  Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him?  (14)  With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?  (15)  Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.  (16)  And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.  (17)  All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.  (18)  To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

God’s infinite supply of grace stands in contrast to our finite selves which means that there is no suffering that can exhaust the limits of God’s grace to us, we cannot sin ourselves beyond the limits of His infinite grace. True Christians struggle with sin. We feel like God must be frustrated with us because we are frustrated. But understand that Jesus died for all of our sins, not just the ones committed as unbelievers. Does this mean we have license to sin as we please? Absolutely not for if we have died to sin in Christ how can we live any longer in it? No this truth is to be a balm for our aching souls.

3. Grace codified

Peter has written this letter concerning the true grace of God. It’s place in our Bibles is proof of it being the Word of God. As it is codified it means it is not subject to change. There is nothing that can be taken from it any deviation from this true grace of God is false teaching. Let that sink in for a moment. How careful must we be in rightly dividing the Word of Truth. How careful must we be in studying the Word and the care and attention we must bring to everyone who preaches it. There are many who sound good. Their voices are smooth as silk but their words are poison from a snake. Think about Joel Olsteen and about the thousands who attend his services Sunday after Sunday. He is a smooth talker who tickles the ears of his listeners to the destruction of their souls. There are many others just like him.

So what is this true grace of God? In this letter Peter lays out how the whole of our Christian life is a result of the grace of God. Again what is grace but God’s unmerited favor. Meaning there is no quality inherent in us, no activity of faith or deed that qualifies us to be recipients of His grace. Otherwise it would not be grace but merit.

The true grace of God centers around the person and work of Jesus Christ. This letter is full of references to Christ’s work.

1 Peter 1:11 talks about the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

1Pe 1:18-20  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  (20)  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

1 Peter 2:6 Christ is the chief cornerstone

1Pe 2:24  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

1Pe 3:17-18  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  (18)  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

We see first the grace of salvation. 1Pe 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 1Pe 1:3-5  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  (4)  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,  (5)  who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

When we read the testimony of Scripture concerning man, concerning sin, concerning the righteousness of God, His justice, holiness, and righteousness. There can only be the grace of God in salvation. We have the contrast in the first chapter of that which is perishable gold and silver, that which we gain as wages for our labor versus that which is imperishable the precious blood of Christ. He has purchased us, redeemed us from a debt from which we could never repay. And more than redeeming us, He has brought us into the household of God as adopted children. Which brings us to the next grace.

Sanctifying Grace - 1Pe 1:13-16  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  (15)  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  (16)  because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

We see in this text that we as obedient children are to be like our Father. We are to be holy as He is holy. It is the grace of God leading us on as a child of God be grow in our likeness to our Father in His holiness. You see that as children of God we cannot remain the same. But in all things we are to be like Him who called us. If we want to know God the Father is like we need look no further that the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospels. Every act of compassion, mercy, grace, love, forgiveness Jesus showed is a reflection of the Father. Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father. And we are to be like Him.

Peter expands on what sanctifying grace looks like as we are in the world but not of it. This is in contrast to the easy believism of our day as though we can be Christian and still love the world and love our sin. If you are at peace with your sin; if your sin is not a scourge on your soul then I fear you have no part of Christ. Those in Christ will want to separate themselves from their sin as the are a new ceature in Christ, the old things have passed away behold knew things have come.

The agent of this grace and all other grace is the Holy Spirit. 1Pe 1:22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

How is love of the brethren displayed. It is displayed in action and service. 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

The principle of grace in service. 1Pe 4:10  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Everyone who has been born of God has been gifted for service in the church and this without exception. We are His body. We are joined together and grow in Christ as each member supplies. In the wisdom of God we are interconnected for the good of each so that when the storm clouds of trial and affliction are on the horizon we stand together because when one in the body of Christ suffers we all suffer.

Do not be deceived into thinking that you are of no value in the service of the body of Christ. This verse makes a lie of that belief. God has gifted you and using it is a sign of the grace of God working in and through you.

We see also God’s sustaining grace in 1Pe 5:10  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

The underlying theme of this letter is suffering. We have seen the term used multiple times throughout this letter. We are not given license to live as the world lives in times of suffering. We are to live as Christ lived. It is in the midst of our suffering we see the God of all grace at work perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling us. These are all activities down while we are drawing breath in this life. In the next there is no need for that work because we will be free from this body of sin and death. There will be no more suffering, no persecution. We will have entered into our rest.

2. Stand Firm in the true grace of God

As mentioned before the verb used has the sense of standing firm and action already being performed with the imperative command to stand firm. It is like saying to your child playing some sport. You have been doing great, keep doing great! When we stand firm we are bracing ourselves for what is coming against us.

Ex: Going to the beach as a boy we learned that if the waves were big we had to brace on leg back in the sand and lean into the oncoming wave. If we didn’t so that we would be knocked off our feet. It was even more effective if we locked arms with a friend or friends. Each being a support for the other. This is what Peter is saying here because he is using the second person plural of the verb. We stand firm best in the true grace of God when we stand firm together.

Why does Peter tell us to stand firm? In part because of the suffering and persecution of the believers. Also because our adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Standing firm in the true grace of God means that we understand the true purpose of our suffering. 1Pe 1:6-9  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  (7)  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,  (8)  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  (9)  receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Suffering is the refining fire for our faith. Though it may not seem so our suffering is but for a time. It has a beginning and an end. Paul writes. Rom 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

In the pitched batter of suffering it is good to have brothers and sisters surrounding us, reminding one another of the true grace of God.

This grace is the hand of God powerfully preserving us in our trials working in us His perfect plan in conforming us to the image of His beloved Son.