1 Peter: For His Glory, by His GraceSample

What does grace, or “living hope,” mean for you? How does it change who you are, how you live moment by moment, day to day, and how you glorify God?

Peter has several challenges in the second part of this chapter. The first one is to “set your hope on … grace” (1 Peter 1:13). This grace is a result of Jesus’ return. You can have hope that He will come back, and you have the privilege of yearning for that as you live out your career, dreams, and daily activities.

As you hope in Jesus, eagerly awaiting His return, you—alongside all Christians—are called to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and experience real change. When Jesus comes back, it's our earnest prayer that our lives reflect His will as much as they possibly can.

As 1 Peter 1:15 says, you are to “be holy.”Although human attempts at holiness can never touch or even come close to God’s holiness, you can always grow and become better while you wait to encounter Him.

That waiting also comes with living in “obedience” and “reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:14,17). Initially, those words might repel you—fear and obedience are hard things to think about. But those who “were redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19) are called to live lives marked by Christ’s sacrificial love, recognizing the depth of the blessings contained in Jesus’ sacrifice.

You are to live in awe as you recognize all that God has done for you. It’s your challenge, your call, to reflect Him the best way you can ... in all circumstances.

1. What do “obedience” and “reverent fear” mean for you? How do you feel called to display those in your walk with God?
2. How can you live out the more difficult aspects of these challenges?
3. What does it look like to “set your hope on … grace” (1 Peter 1:13)?