“I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand” (1 Peter 5:12).

The implication is that some have other ideas on grace.  Jude write of those “Who turn the grace of our God into lewdness” (Jude 4).  Some, in our day, do the same.

This book of 1 Peter is about God’s true grace.  Yet, this book says, “you have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22).  Obedience and grace are not mutually exclusive.  The fact that we are required to comply with God’s conditions of pardon does not mean that salvation is not of grace.  It is only by the grace of God that man can be saved.  This book also teaches Christians to be good citizens (1 Peter 2:13-17), good employees (1 Peter 2:18-25), and good husbands and wives (1 Peter 3:1-7).  The fact that God wants, and orders, man to live a moral life in no way means that man earns his salvation.  Salvation is possible because of God.

The word “grace” appears eight times in the book of 1 Peter (1 Peter 1:2; 1:10; 1:13; 3:7; 4:10; 5:5; 5:10; 5:12).  Grace is connected with the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12 cf. 1:3-4; 1:18-19; 2:24) and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-12 cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7; Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 3:7; 5:10).  God’s grace is conditional (1 Peter 5:5-6). This is the true grace of God.

The theme of the entire book of 1 Peter is grace, even though “grace” is not mentioned in every verse, or even every chapter.  Some seem to think that unless a sermon explicitly mentions “grace,” then grace is not being taught.  This is not true.  When a sermon teaches salvation through the death-burial-and resurrection of Jesus, grace is being taught.  When God’s plan for redemption is unfolded through the pages of the Bible, grace is being taught.  When a sermon teaches man what to do to be saved, grace is being taught.  When a sermon teaches man how to maintain a right relationship with God through the blood of Christ, and about “the second law of pardon,” grace is being taught. I think it is good to mention the word “grace” (we never want to leave the impression that man merits salvation).  However, a sermon does not necessarily have to use the word “grace,” to be teaching God’s grace.