Key Truth: We are called to humble ourselves under the will of God as evidenced by our casting our anxieties upon Him as we watch, pray, resist the devil, and stand firm in His grace.  

Introduction:

Have you ever questioned God’s goodness and/or power?

“The God who has given such promises (indicatives) also uses exhortations (imperatives) to provoke his people to be faithful until the last day. The exhortations and promises, therefore, should not be  played off against each other, as if the exhortations introduce an element of uncertainty to the promises. The exhortations are the very means by which God’s promises are secured, and indeed God in his grace grants believers the strength to carry out the exhortations. Still, such grace never be used to cancel out the need for responding to the exhortations.”

Thomas R. Schriener, The New American Commentary: 1,2 Peter, Jude

The Call to Humble Ourselves Under the Will of God:

1 Peter 5:6-11

“The danger to the Christian is that he will fail to resist, that he will not watch and pray, that he will not put on the whole armour of God and take the sword of the Spirit. That sword, the word of God, was the weapon Jesus used in his ordeal in the desert; it is ours to use in his name. Peter calls us to do what he had failed to do in the garden of Gethsemane: to watch and pray.”

Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross

Do you ever take the time to humble yourself by judging how you are living in reference to the will of God?
Are you able to cast your anxieties on the Lord as you watch, pray, and resist the devil?

The Call to Stand Firm in God’s Grace:

1 Peter 5:12-14

“This has been an epistle of comfort and encouragement for all Christians, and especially for the suffering church. But it has also presented many challenges to us all. Are we truly God’s holy people? Are we ready to suffer for Christ if called to do so? Does the world see that we have a different worldview arising from our belief that there is only one Lord and God who is over all?”

Paul Gardner, 1&2 Peter & Jude: Christian Living in an Age of Suffering

How do you define grace? 
How does Peter define grace in his first letter?
Which serves as your firm foundation?

Application:

1 Peter 5:6-14 teaches us that we are called to:

- humble ourselves under the will of God as evidenced by our casting our anxieties upon Him as we watch, pray, and resist the devil

- stand firm in His grace

“Peter’s readers have been given new birth into a living hope into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By definition that living hope puts them at odds, to some extent, with the society in which they must live. And yet in the midst of whatever they might suffer because of their faith in Christ, they also have great joy and peace that come only from being right with God, the Creator and Judge of all.”

Karen H. Jobes, 1 Peter

Benediction:

1 Peter 5:6-11