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. 1 Peter 5:10
The reality is in this life we will suffer. No one is exempt. The Bible even promises that and we’ve all experienced it. But God doesn’t just leave us in our suffering. He steps in and brings us out. That’s what the 1 Peter 5:10 meaning is pointing to. It’s should give followers of Jesus an incredible hope.
Whatever you are going through or whatever you will face in the future, I believe this verse will be an encouragement to you. Let’s dive into the meaning of 1 Peter 5:10 and see what we can learn.
Table of Contents
The Context of 1 Peter 5:10
This letter was written by the Apostle Peter, whose the primary purpose was encouraging his readers who were facing persecution for their faith. His message was to stand firm, don’t give up, keep trusting in God.
Peter was no stranger to these trials that Christians were facing. He’d been flogged, beaten, and thrown in prison multiple times. He writes from his personal experience to encourage them. God will come through so don’t give up.
As the letter is drawing to a close (1 Peter 5:1-11) Peter gives specific instructions to those who are leading the church. He’s encouraging them to set the example and to practice what they preach.
This sections ends with the promise that we are looking at in 1 Peter 5:10; it contains a call to follow God and a promise if we do.
Let’s dive into the meaning of 1 Peter 5:10 and see what we can learn.
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1 Peter 5:10 Meaning
Now that we know the context of this verse I want to look at the meaning of 1 Peter 5:10. To help you better understand what this verse is communicating, I’ve broken it down into three sections.
The God Of All Grace Who Called You To His Eternal Glory
Peter starts this verse off by reminding his readers that God is full of grace. Grace is not something we have earned, but something God has freely given because he loves us. Now because of his grace we can spend eternity with him.
But that’s not all, not only are we saved we are called. God has given each of his followers a calling in this life. In other words, you are created on purpose and for a purpose.
Peter is encouraging his readers with the eternal life that is theirs and challenging them to live in their purpose here in this life.
After You Have Suffered A Little While
Many of Peter’s readers have been striving to live in the calling that God’s given them. And the result has been suffering. They are being persecuted because of their faith.
The reality is we will all suffer in this life, no one is exempt. And for some, following Jesus can make the suffering worse. Even Jesus promised that in John 15:18, the world hated Jesus and therefore will hate his followers.
But the promise to hang onto here is that all suffering is temporary for followers of Jesus. The promise of salvation isn’t a promise of an easy life, rather a promise that one day our suffering will end.
Will Himself Restore You And Make You Strong, Firm And Steadfast
While we will suffer for a little while, God will not leave us there. He will restore, strengthen, and hold us firmly.
Peter here is adding emphasis to what God will do by giving a number of closely related words. This reinforces what God does for his children. Peter is showing his readers that even in their suffering God is producing something of immense value.
This is what we have to look forward to in eternity. God will restore us and perfect us; we will not be lacking anything. He will make us strong, hold us firm, and be steadfast. In this life we might struggle and face suffering. We can feel our bodies being worn out.
But that’s all temporary. God will call each of us home, and he will restore everything that was lost and more. And in him we will live forever.
How The Meaning Of 1 Peter 5:10 Applies To Your Life
This verse has an incredible promise that we should hold on to. As we end I want to break down the 1 Peter 5:10 meaning into two practical truths we can apply to our lives.
1. Hold Onto The Hope Of Eternity
Everyone is either going through a storm, coming out of a storm, or entering into a storm. It’s the reality in this life, we will have seasons of suffering.
When these times come what we need to do is life our gaze. Rather than looking at the storm look to the one who is bigger than the storm. When we focus on God he will lead us through.
Not only will he lead us through each storm we face he gives us an incredible hope to hold onto. Because of Jesus we have eternity to look forward to. Rather than looking at what’s temporary, look to what God has promised.
2. Boldly Pursue The Calling God Has Given You
Peter’s readers were tempted to abandon their calling because of the difficulties it brought. Peter was encouraging them to stay in their calling. Yes, that might mean suffering. But God will lead them through AND he will restore them.
Today we face the same temptation. It’s easy to abandon the calling God has given us for the pursuit of something more comfortable. But it’s not worth it, what God has for you is so much better. It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.
Therefore because of the hope we have in Christ we can boldly pursue the calling he’s given us. It might mean a harder life, but God will not abandon us. He is with us and will restore us.
BA in Biblical Studies - Ozark Christian College (2012)
MA in Theology - Regent University (2019)
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