Suffering, Jesus, and Salvation

Peter could understand the problems of Christian believers down through all the ages. Peter and the Christians of his day lived in difficult times. Often upon becoming a Christian they lost their employment, their family and the security that they had previously known.

The Christian of Peter’s time and today live life from moment to moment not knowing what they will be faced with, what choices they will have to make. They like we are often faced with the choice of remaining faithful to their call as Christians. We like them are often faced with family and friends and even employers that do not understand why we have chosen to become followers of Christ.

Peter makes a point of saying, “If you are married, or a slave, then within the circle in which you were living, your faith could leave you open to pressure and in the case of the slave (employer and employee) without a job. Yet Christ is our example, the one we can look to for as he suffered shame and ridicule for His faith, we to can endure to the end. He suffered without complaint so that we could have salvation and eternal life. We are as it were sprinkled (purified) by his blood and ransomed by his blood and by His wounds we are healed. Restored to what we were before sin. But that restoration process that is started upon repentance and conversion lasts a life time and is not completed until Christ’s triumphant return.

So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, remain faithful, remain true to the calling of God.