Because the early Christians were accused falsely of all sorts of outrageous behavior, Peter urged his readers in I Peter 2:11-25 to be especially careful to live such honorable lives that even their enemies would end up glorifying God. This calling was especially difficult, because they often found themselves in unfair situations that they were powerless to change, in which they suffered unjustly. Amazingly, God called them and calls us to endure unjust suffering and gave us the highest motivation for doing so: Christ already endured unjust suffering for us.
After four chapters of telling us what Christ has done for us and urging us to have faith in him alone in order to...
The conclusion to the first half of Ephesians is a prayer for believers to have strength to know Christ’s love.
Although Paul’s circumstances were very difficult, he focused on bigger realities in which he rejoiced.