Theme = Christ’s Return
Throughout this letter Peter constantly brings the reality of Christ’s return back to the forefront of his audience’s mind. For Peter all things revolved around this simple truth, that Christ was going to return and ultimately restore all things unto God. This created in his mind an eternal perspective that he realized was vital to helping all believers understand the ramifications of what Christ had done. The reality of Christ’s promised return is the hope that believers have. Their hope is built on this promise… that their genuine faith obtains the outcome of salvation for their souls… the gift of heaven because of their faith in Christ’s finished work of redemption on their behalf. When Christ returns and to bring restoration to the world, bringing forth divine judgement… those who belong to him have nothing to fear for they will be saved from the wrath of God. They will be deemed blameless through their faith… and they will forever rejoice because they have been spared because they accepted the gracious gift of God, salvation through Christ.
For the original readers of this letter this would be hope for them, this would be the one thing that they could hold onto… a true hope… “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.” (1 Peter 1:4) This is the one truth that God desired to captivate their hearts, for in it they had life and security and hope… in it they had God’s great gift that was promised to come. As they heard Peter reiterate commands and warnings and explain God’s will for their life they would be frustrated and challenged to live a life of holiness and good works. Considering that they were enduring unjust persecutions and suffering innocently the call that God was declaring was his will would seem too steep. This was why Peter had to bring their focus again and again back to this simple reality that they have this hope that they will be saved upon Christ’s return. What’s more… this is how the prove to God that they truly believe… this is how they prove their faith genuine. If they continue to live according to their own will, seeking what they think is their own justice by repaying evil with evil, by rejecting God’s call on their life… then they have shown that they truly do not trust God’s provision and faithfulness. They would realize as Peter quotes scripture after scripture and explains to them the sovereign plan of God to faithfully redeem them when Christ returns they would be convinced that they have no reason to doubt God. They would realize that their hope truly is in a faithful Father who loved them so much that he sent Christ to ransom them from the bondage of sin and death. They would see the enormity of the gift they have been given and realize there is no hope outside of it… for they would realize that they truly have reason to rejoice every moment of every day regardless of their sufferings or circumstances. Their hope is secure, their trust is in a faithful God who has proven himself to be savior of all, graciously giving eternal life to those who would bow their knee to Christ.
The situation now is no different from that which the original was faced with. The persecutions and sufferings look different but ultimately the hope that is found in Christ remains the same. Today believers in Christ have come to seek the comforts of the world, have come to desire prosperity and “freedom”, and have grown selfish in many various ways. The call of Peter remains true for believers in our culture… Christ is going to return… and what he seeks is a people who have been captured by the glorious gift that he has given and are responding to the gift by being set apart and holy. The comforts of the world will be gone when Christ returns, the treasures stored up will perish, the sufferings will end, and all that will remain will be those who have placed their faith in God through Christ. This is capital “R” reality. Christ will return… and judgement will come with him… and the call that God places to those who would believe in him is to be set apart for him… seeking to do good, pursuing righteousness and turning wholly from all evil. The call seems very steep… and it indeed is… but the truth of Christ’s return is immanent… and there is absolutely nothing to fear, for the hope that is promised in him is eternity in heaven with God. Peter’s challenge is to fear God alone… to live holy lives in reverence for him… for he alone is savior, he alone has given the gift of salvation from sin and death in Christ. This is hope… if it is true…and if we are his… then let us live wholly unto him.
