God, our Heavenly Father, longs for His children in the church to realize His expectations for our behavior. There is a particular relational ethic that Christians are called to live out which will radically increase our love for life, for one another, for our enemies, and for our Lord.

Peter’s insstructions to wives and husbands was not given so that spouses would neglect or mistreat their spouse. Instead, it was given as a tool of evangelism for unbelieving partners. God’s purpose in marriage is that we would be sanctified together, loving and sacrificing for themselves as Christ loves and sacrificed for the church.

Suffering and pain are a part of every life. The hardest of all is “undeserved suffering.” In a moment of deep and difficult to accept truth, Peter says we are actually called by God to endure sufferning. Peter then presents Jesus to us as our Savior, Example, and Shepherd.

A part of living life as a citizen of God’s Kingdom is being so honorable in our lifestyle and dealings that people are drawn to our God. One of the primary ways the Lord transforms rebellious hearts is to teach us to submit to earthly authority. We can almost think of it as training for submission to the Lord.

People will either stumble over Jesus or build their lives upon Him. God's design for His people is that we tell the world who He is. We exist to display and proclaim God's excellence to the world. We are royal priests called to point people to and declare the glories of our God and King.

There is a definitive moment in the life of the Christian where they are born again, but the Christian life does not stop at being born again. All Christians reach a point where they need to grow up, and the Bible provides us with the information on how to do that. The reason that so many Christians are struggling with their faith is because they have never grown up.

Peter teaches us that our living hope, our great salvation does not simply impact our future; it is to mark the way we live today.

The Christian life is a quest, not an adventure. In this life there will be trouble, but Jesus Christ has overcome the world. The temporary troubles that we go through now only makes the Christian better, and the Jesus that we cannot see now will more than make up for what we endure on His behalf here on earth.

Peter was a man who knew what it was to fail and not keep his commitment. He teaches us that God chooses us, not on the basis of our performance, but by His mercy. Salvation is the work of a Triune God - Father, Son & Spirit. God promises He will guard our salvation and complete it one day in heaven.

In the final chapter of the final book in our Old Testament, God warns all that a “great and awesome day” of judgment is coming. For the unfaithful and unrepentant it will be a terrible day, and for the faithful it will be an awesome day of salvation and complete healing. Which will it be for you?