Resilient: Powerful Hope in a Dangerous WorldSample

Our world offers us cheap grace. A grace that says, “yeah, you messed up, but it’s okay – you were just living your truth at that time! Don’t worry about the consequences; if people really love you, they’ll get over it.” Anyone who has ever made a mistake knows that our actions' consequences are real and have lasting implications.

A grace that rids us of any personal responsibility isn’t grace at all, leading to our destruction.

1 Peter 4 begins by exhorting the audience to live holy, righteous lives because of Christ’s return and the imminent final judgment of God. Living in holiness means turning away from sin and following Christ’s way of living by enduring suffering faithfully.

While we can’t pursue holiness perfectly like Jesus, we can pursue it to the best of our ability because of the grace of God. As Adam transmitted death to humanity, God made His unending grace available through Jesus.

The grace of Jesus isn’t cheap – it’s incredibly costly. It cost Jesus His life, and it costs us to turn from the passions of our flesh. It costs us to turn away from the world despite the criticism and side-eye from our neighbors because we know that righteousness alone brings freedom and life.

Reflection Questions

1. Romans 6 describes being a slave to righteousness. What would it look like for you to be a slave for the things of heaven? What does it mean to even be a slave for righteousness?
2. 1 Peter 4:8 says that “love covers a multitude of sins.” How do you love people through their struggle with sin? How do you extend the grace of Jesus to them?
3. How have you personally experienced the grace of God in your life?