What is the meaning of 1 Peter 2:21? For to this you were called Peter reminds believers that suffering for righteousness is not an accident but a divine appointment. • Earlier, he wrote, “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:20). • Paul tells the Thessalonians the same: “You yourselves know that we are destined for this” (1 Thessalonians 3:3). • Jesus’ promise in John 15:20 echoes the call: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well.” The call is not merely to endure hardship but to identify with Christ through it, trusting that God’s sovereign plan includes refining and witness. because Christ also suffered for you Our calling is grounded in Christ’s redemptive suffering. • “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). • Isaiah foretold, “He was pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). • Romans 5:8 confirms the motive: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Knowing He suffered “for you” anchors every trial in a personal, finished work. We do not suffer to earn favor; we respond to favor already given. leaving you an example Jesus’ suffering is more than a transaction; it is a template. • After washing the disciples’ feet, He said, “I have set you an example, so that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). • Philippians 2:5-8 urges us to adopt His mindset of humble obedience, “even to death on a cross.” Think of an artist tracing a master sketch. We trace Christ’s attitudes—humility, patience, forgiveness—onto the canvas of our own circumstances. Practical traces: – Choose silence over retaliation (1 Peter 2:23). – Pray for persecutors (Luke 23:34). – Entrust justice to the Father (Luke 23:46). that you should follow in His footsteps The goal is active imitation, not passive admiration. • “Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6). • Jesus calls, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). • Peter spells out the footprints: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth… He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22-23). The path may involve unjust treatment, but His footsteps lead to resurrection glory (1 Peter 5:10). Following Him shapes our witness, refines our character, and assures us of ultimate vindication. summary 1 Peter 2:21 teaches that suffering for doing good is part of God’s calling. Christ’s own sacrificial suffering secures our salvation and models how we should endure. He left a clear pattern—humble obedience, non-retaliation, and trust in the Father—so that we might walk the same path, confident that the God who called us will also sustain and reward us. |
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