Peter says to grow up into our salvation.

Have you tasted that the Lord is good? If thoughts of Jesus don’t put a smile on your face, you are missing something.

You and Jesus are living stones. Together, with all other believers, you are chosen and precious and are being built up as a spiritual house.

We are a holy priesthood. We offer spiritual sacrifices, our lives.

We use our lives to proclaim the “excellencies” of our God. Our lives should proclaim His excellence. Our conduct, our love, our holiness, our self-control, the light in our eyes, our lives should show His glory.

There are those who disobey God’s word. That’s not you. They were destined to disobey. God doesn’t make them disobey. We humans quite naturally disobey. God just doesn’t intervene and lets them make their choices.

We, however, have been shown mercy. We aren’t left to ourselves. We are His people. Praise God! Live as one redeemed, bought back from the dead. Rejoice! Give thanks!

Live free, but use your freedom to submit. Be subject to those in authority. Live with good conduct. Be honorable and treat others with honor in the fear of the Lord.

Peter gives instructions to servants, but we can all take the instruction about suffering well.

We suffer knowing that God is over all. He sees what’s going on. He hasn’t stopped it, so there is purpose. We are mindful of Him as we rely on His grace to endure.

Jesus had done nothing wrong and suffered. He is our example. We don’t fight and complain that we’re being treated wrongly. We entrust our lives to God.

God is working out His purposes, that we would die to sin and live to righteousness.

We were straying but we returned to our Shepherd. By His wounds you have been healed.