Suffer to Glory, Live to Eternity in Grace

1 Peter 5:12-14 

12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Like Paul, Peter used a scribe to write this letter for him, probably dictated, though it is possible that Peter wrote it and Silvanus hand carried it.  Either way, he was considered a faithful brother in Christ by Peter and entrusted in the critical work of delivering God’s word to His people.  Though this book is not an extremely long letter like one of those to the Corinthians, it covered important doctrines of grace as a reminder to all of us in Christ just where we stand in Him and how we are to then live.  We suffer towards glory and are responsible for how we live, enabled by Christ and God’s Spirit of holiness according to His word.  Peter testified of this true grace in which we stand as a reminder of both how and why to live toward eternity by that precious grace as His people whom He chose for Himself and His glory.  The letter ends with greetings from believers living in the corrupt world figuratively called Babylon, elect or chosen by God in Christ, with a spiritual kiss of brotherly love and concern.  Peace with God (Romans 5:1, 15:13, 15:33, Ephesians 6:23) is given to us in Jesus the Christ.  Truly these things are so!