“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1Peter5:10).
Reading Peter’s letter, one can hardly miss five major themes that are mentioned and expanded. It is not that we can clearly divide the content into five sections. Instead we find these themes mentioned throughout the letter time and time again. The five themes are: theology; godliness; obedience; suffering and future glory.
Example: Theology. Throughout the letter we find revelations about God, His nature, etc. We all know now that the revealer is the Holy Spirit.
Example: Godliness. Knowing God and who He is, we are exhorted to live godly lives in a god-less society. Our society may seem flourishing, but it flourishes in the wrong direction: away from God. As children of God we are called to live as God’s children, people who bear His name.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1Peter 2:12).
Example: Obedience. When it comes to obedience, we must make sure that our priorities are set right. Peter’s own example is relevant. When the apostles were ordered not to preach Christ anymore, Peter replied, “…Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God” (Acts 4:19). When it comes to obedience, the right priority is God, His word, authorities, etc. When Peter writes, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority… (1Peter 2:13), we understand that we indeed submit to earthly authorities after we check with God. Read 1Peter to find out the rest of themes I mentioned above. Bottom line: we have been called to His eternal glory.