Teaching | Understanding 1 Peter: The Hope that is in You (1 Peter 3:8-4:6)

Peter spends a great deal of his first letter exhorting Christians to endure present suffering by setting their minds on future hope by faith. In doing this, Christians follow in the footsteps of Christ who entrusted himself to his Father in the midst of unjust suffering. To follow Christ is to walk the path of suffering then glory. But future hope does not replace present faithfulness. Christians must live distinct from the world as sojourners and exiles as they await their final hope. The primary way the church distinguishes itself from the world is in the realm of morality. We do not engage our sinful passions, but pursue holiness. We do not limit our perspective to the here and now, but rather live our lives in light of God’s final judgement. We do all of this with Christ as our example who died and rose again that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is Understanding First Peter.