Get the appLiving Hope: A Study in 1 PeterSample
What does it say?
The believer’s foundation is Christ, the living Stone. Believers should submit to God-ordained authorities.
What does it mean?
In Chapters 2 and 3, Peter explained one of the greatest principles of godly living – learning to operate under authority. Responding with the right attitude to God-ordained authority as declared in His Word is evidence of true faith. Jesus Christ, who suffered unjustly, is the believer’s example – He operated under total submission to His heavenly Father, the Righteous Judge. God works supernaturally on behalf of believers who respond with respectful attitudes to those He has placed over them.
How should I respond?
Every person has to live under some authority. The way you respond to that authority has a profound effect on your success and happiness in life. Ask God to show you how you need to change your attitude toward the authorities in your life. Then ask for His grace to respond with the right attitude to your authority. How will God’s Word affect your response to your parents, teachers, or employer this week? Be encouraged as you remember that an attitude of submission is an act of faith that pleases God (Matthew 8).
Scripture
About this Plan
1 Peter was written to the “elect exiles of the Dispersion” (1 Peter 1:1), a group of believers forced to flee their homes and lives due to persecution. Although they lost much, Peter reminds his readers that they have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). Truly, Jesus is our Living Hope, transcending all our difficulties to provide hope and courage amid opposition.
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