1 Peter 5:14 KJV [14] “Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”      Peter gives us the custom for greeting the brethren in Bible days, especially in that region and the people he was writing to. This custom is still practiced in some countries today. Honestly, I am glad this is not our custom in America. A firm handshake and a friendly smile are adequate.       However, we must consider the principle behind this verse. Peter is encouraging the brethren to greet one another with Christian charity. Our customs …

1 Peter 5:13 KJV [13] “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.”      The only thing we know about the church in Babylon is that Peter mentions it in this verse. We know that Marcus is John Mark. Just think about there being a church in Babylon! I know that things had changed a great deal since the days of Daniel, but it seemed that Babylon would be an unlikely place for a group of believers to assemble. Peter must have been successful in reaching some believers while on …

1 Peter 5:12 KJV [12] “By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.”      Silvanus was the man who carried this letter to the various churches. Paul calls this man a faithful brother because he was trustworthy to deliver the Word of God to the churches. He was possibly Silas in the Book of Acts. Silas was a man whom the Jerusalem church highly regarded, and he became Paul’s companion on many of his missionary journeys.       Regardless of who …

1 Peter 5:11 KJV [11] “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”      I like this verse because Peter gives glory to the God of all grace, who deserves our praise, and I am sure that you will agree with me that God deserves all the glory that we could ever give Him in this life. Our purpose on earth is to bring honor and glory to Him who loves us and gave His Son to die for us. We are to honor and serve God, but we must also glorify Him.      There should be …

1 Peter 5:10 KJV [10] “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”      As believers, we must remember that there is no substitute for God’s grace. Peter is encouraging these saints to remember that the God they serve will give them grace to help in their time of need. They were facing great persecution for their faith, but were also experiencing immeasurable amounts of grace to serve under such pressure. The grace of God was sufficient then, …

1 Peter 5:9 KJV [9] “whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”      How can we overcome the Devil? The answer is by resisting him. We cannot give him an inch, or he will take a mile. The Devil is not looking for a large opening when all he needs is a foothold. If he can find a small entrance into our lives, then he can destroy us.      The key to conquering him is resistance. What does this mean? It means that we must be …

1 Peter 5:8 KJV [8] “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”      Peter gives us a solemn warning in this verse. I believe this is a reality check for every child of God when it comes to our adversary. Remember that the Devil is not our friend. He has been the enemy of God from before the foundation of this world. He appeared in the garden to destroy man and retaliate against God. The Devil does not care about anyone other than himself. He will stop …

1 Peter 5:7 KJV [7] “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”      Whenever I read this verse, I think of an old song that says, “Someone to care, someone to share.” The Someone in that song is the Lord Jesus Christ. I am glad that we can cast all of our cares upon Him. It does not matter how big or small they may seem. He is always willing to shoulder our burdens.      Sometimes, we share our burdens with others, and it seems they are not listening. Other times, they do not have the …

1 Peter 5:6 KJV [6] “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”      We should never seek to be exalted before others. Think about how foolish it is to feel we deserve to be above anyone else. If we consider our sinfulness, we must realize that the only thing we truly deserve is a place in Hell. I am thankful for God’s grace, which has saved us and given us a place in His family.       The flesh never rests even though we have been saved. It constantly looks for …

1 Peter 5:5 KJV [5] “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”      The attire of a Christian should be different than the attire of those who are not Christians. However, we often see people in the church debating over what is and is not acceptable to God when it comes to our wardrobe. The answer to this debate is simple. First, our attire should always reflect modesty and holiness. Secondly, if we follow …