1 Peter 5:12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

In a letter full of commands and exhortations to Christian living by faith, Peter’s concluding command is very simple yet profound: stand firm.  Maybe you are familiar with the “Full Armor of God” passage in Ephesians 6:11-17.  Paul commands that we stand firm three times in that passage, and the armor of God enables us to do so. 

“…this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”

What is going on with this statement? What is Peter calling the “true grace” of God? As someone who has been captivated by the idea of GRACE all my life, I really love the sound of this command.  It is a beefy thing to say “stand firm in God’s true grace.”  Grace is not really thought of as beefy is it? I think the wisdom of the world might suggest grace is a weak thing–weakness in God for being merciful or weakness in people who delude themselves in the misguided hope of a gracious “savior.”  Peter, the rough and tough fisherman-turned-spokesman of Jesus’ disciples (and now Jesus’ Apostle to Israel), makes a strong statement about God’s mighty works and man’s access to them.

The power of the apostolic imperative is on display here in all its glory.  As Peter closes his first epistle, we find ourselves aware of a responsibility that implies great ability.   Peter answers at least three key questions by saying “stand firm in the true grace of God.”  First, we know what we are supposed to do in the situation Peter describes.  In a world of deception corrupted by Satan’s system of rebellion against God, we know our job is to hold the line, to keep the faith.  Under withering spiritual assault, stand firm. 

Second, Peter tells us something very important to our spiritual health and success by implication: You can do it.  You can stand firm.  How many times have we said, “I can’t” about something we know we are responsible to do?  You might want to cave under the pressure of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and in a moment of weakness you might want to say “I don’t know if I can do it.”  Peter does not really leave room for us to entertain the question.  You can.  Otherwise he has no business telling you to stand firm.

Third, it seems clear that Peter tells us how and where we stand firm in one little phrase: “in it.”    We stand firm in the true grace of God, and this means, in terms of location, that you stand on God’s grace and never move from it.  Stand there and enjoy God’s deliverance.  In terms of ability, I contend that Peter is saying that God’s grace enables you to stand firm.  The prepositional phrase is a double-entendre.  By God’ s grace alone are we enabled with spiritual power from the Holy Spirit through the Word to do what pleases God.  And in a 1 Peter 5:8 world, that means standing firm against our adversary.

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Now what does Peter mean by “this” and “it” when he says “This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it“? What is the true grace of God? In Greek, the pronoun “this” modifies or refers to the word “grace, χαριςְ, both being feminine in gender. But that does not tell us what “this” is. Read it:

1 Peter 5:5-12

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

The Word of God itself, which Peter has written here, is “this” and “it.” This is the true grace of God: That Peter has been empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit to write of our salvation, our walk with God, and the associated challenges along the way. That God has revealed His will for us. That God has commanded us and empowered us, that we have a relationship with Him fed by His Word. This is the true grace of God–the Christian spiritual life of intake of the Word, the exhale of faith in it, and the practice of what it requires, all by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit.

Stand FIRM in the Word, which is God’s true grace to you!