“Seeing Beyond Troubles” – “Encouraged through Grace” – 1 Peter 5:12-14

In Ecclesiastes 4:12, the Bible says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

It is helpful in times of trouble to remember we are never alone. Whether recovering from a natural disaster, overcoming an illness or trying to get past financial hardships, God wants us to know we are never alone. He is always with us (cf. Matthew 28:20) and that our brothers and sisters in Christ stand with us.

If we will keep this truth in mind, we can not only endure hardships, we can overcome them.

Background

Peter has reached the end of his letter and now writes his closing remarks. Before we consider these closing remarks, this is a good time to recap some of the lessons from this short letter.

First, trials and tribulations are inevitable. They are simply a fact of life in a fallen, sinful world. Things that are beyond our control—and some things within our control—can disrupt our lives and bring us to a point of crisis. To assume that being a Christian frees us from worldly troubles and temptations is to deny the message of the Bible and the realities of the world in which we live.

Second, God gives us the grace to endure hardships. Peter wrote of our new birth in Christ given to us by God (cf. 1:3-9), that our gift of grace from God is eternal and of great value (1:17-21), and that we are God’s chosen people (2:4-10). The special relationship with have with God through Christ and manifested in the presence of the Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to see beyond temporary setbacks and see the greater picture of God working in and through us.

Third, we can determine how we respond to hardship. Our walk with God is a conscious decision on our part. Repeatedly throughout the letter, Peter wrote that we can prepare our minds for action (1:13), that we can choose to live holy lives (1:15), and that we can rid ourselves of the things that hinder our walk with Jesus (2:1-2). We can choose to be submissive in our relationship with others and with God. We are called to live lives of self-control, gentleness and respect. We do this by setting apart Christ as Lord (cf. 3:15). This self-determination is made possible by the Spirit who gives us a fruit of self-control.

Finally, the way we respond to our hardship is a testimony to the world of our faith in Christ. Throughout the letter, Peter has reminded us that people are watching and commenting on our lives (2:12, 15; 3:15-16). Our lives are to reflect the presence of God in our lives and our surrender to Him. Our surrender is one of faith and commitment to God and His Word.

Now we come to the last three verses of 1 Peter. Yet even in these short verses, God speaks to us if we will only listen.

Central Truth: God provides encouragement.

God encourages us through:

1. Scripture (12)

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

Reading opinion pages has led me to a conclusion. Whether it’s a column or a letter to the editor I believe in the back of each writer’s mind is the idea that their piece will be so obvious and logical that every reader will think to themselves, “Of course! Why didn’t I realize this before?” I’m not sure writers of others pieces, whether fiction or not, has the idea that their story will be so compelling that it will inevitably reach No. 1 on the New York Times list or get a major movie deal.

As Peter wrote his letter, it’s doubtful that he thought he was writing Scripture. He was simply writing a letter of concern and encouragement. Little did he realize that the Holy Spirit was guiding him and preserving his words to become a part of the New Testament.

Yet that’s exactly what Peter did. His words have become a part of Bible reading, an important part in helping believers understand a little bit better both God’s grace and life in general. Peter states the reason for the letter in this verse: To encourage the readers and testify of God’s true grace.

The apostle mentions Silas, or Silvanus (the names are the Latin and Greek versions of the same name), as helping write the letter. More than likely, Silas’ part in the letter was in the actual writing of the words as Peter spoke them. Think of Peter as dictating the letter to Silas. Both men working by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit brought the word of God to the original readers and to us.

What this tells us is that the Bible is a vital part of seeing us through trials and tribulations. Whether it’s in recalling the book of Job or Paul’s testimony of his troubles in 2 Corinthians, whether we read about Jesus’ suffering for our salvation or the apostles being persecuted for their faith, the Bible is filled with examples of men and women overcoming difficult times by walking in faith with God.

In short, we can find encouragement in life through the reading of Scripture. As Peter wrote so many years ago, because we have a testimony of encouragement and grace, we can stand firm in Christ through any hardship we may encounter.

2. Church family (13-14a)

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love.

One of the most common movie themes is that of the buddy films. Two people who are good and fast friends go through the film to find resolution in life. Think “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” or “Thelma and Louise.” While those movies ended in the deaths of the characters, we saw in the telling of those tales that friends will stick together and support one another no matter what.

We have had friendships like that over the years. The one or two resolute friends we can call on if we need them. Peter reminded us of this truth in these verses.

“She who is in Babylon” is the church in Rome. This church was made up primarily of slaves and lower classes in the heart of the Roman Empire. These faithful brothers and sisters in Christ would soon come to fall under the persecution of Nero himself. These same brothers and sisters in Christ were identifying with the churches of northeast Turkey to whom the apostle was writing. Peter’s words reminded them and remind us today that all followers of Christ have been chosen by God Himself and brought into fellowship not just with Him but with each other. The verse indicates to us that the Roman believers must have been aware of what was happening to the churches in northeast Turkey. That’s why they send words of greeting.

Peter also includes Mark in his greetings. This is the same Mark who travelled with Paul and Barnabas in the first mission journey, only to abandon the mission midway through the journey. Mark’s abandonment led to a rift between Paul and Barnabas. As a result, Paul and Silas went on the second journey, while Barnabas took Mark to revisit the churches of the first missionary journey. Paul later mentioned Mark in his second letter to Timothy, writing, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11b). Mark had grown and could testify to the recipients of 1 Peter that God can overcome our shortcomings and allow us to become a useful part of the Gospel.

When you and I face trials, it’s good to remember that we never face them alone—we have brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who will lift us up in prayer. All we have to do is ask. We can find encouragement in the fellowship of believers.

3. His peace (14b)

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He spoke with His disciples in an upper room where they observed the first Lord’s Supper. Included in the lessons being taught that night, Jesus told them, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). When God instructed Moses about the Priestly Blessing, He told Moses that Aaron and his sons were to say to Israel: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Peace is an important part of the relationship we have with God. Paul wrote that God was reconciling the world to Him through Jesus and calls us to be reconcilers (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). In the Beatitudes, Jesus told us that peacemakers will be called the sons of God (cf. Matthew 5:9).

The peace that God gives us is a peace between Him and us. We rebelled against God when we chose to sin. God so loved the world and us that He gave His Son to die for our sins in order to bridge the rift that had grown between us and Him. Of His own volition, God offers us peace in Christ if we will only believe. God calls us to peace, and once we have come to know Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit, we have peace with Him. It is as Jesus said; it is a peace that is divine, not coming from the world. It is a peace of spirit and it is a peace that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and our minds (cf. Philippians 4:7).

It is this peace that Peter referenced in this last line of the letter. It is a peace that overcomes all trials, tribulations and troubles. It is a peace that transcends persecution. It is a peace that comes from God and allows us to find encouragement in the One who loves us enough to reach across the great divide of sin and make us His children.

Conclusion

If you’ve even been to a sporting event, you realize how important it is for the home fans to cheer their team. With the support of the fans, the team plays better. It is even possible for a team to be inspired by the cheers of the fans.

When fans cheer, they offer encouragement. The cheers are that the fans believe in the team and want the team to know they believe.

When you and I face troubles, it is important that we remember the encouragement we find in scripture, in the fellowship with one another and from the peace that only comes from God. Once we embrace this encouragement, we will know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Today, if you are experiencing setbacks or hard times, I encourage you to turn your eyes upon Jesus. He will sustain you and carry you and see you through to the end and beyond.