Trust and stand

We often use the term "trial by fire" because it does seem like we are walking through fires when the crises come to us....as we conclude our study of I Peter, there is a powerful truth in these final verses:

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (I Peter 5:12-14)

We go through suffering with other believers. There are several relationships mentioned in these final verses.
Peter commends Silas, who must have been acting as his secretary, and who probably carried the letters to the churches we studied in chapter one. Silas was faithful, and had served with Paul on what we call the second missionary journey. It was Silas who had sung hymns with Paul at midnight in the jail in Philippi. Their backs had been whipped and their feet were in the stocks, but they sang praises. Silas was no stranger to the persecution of the gospel, and he is continuing to serve Peter.
What an encouragement it is, when we are going through trials, to have the comfort and company of faithful believers who have "been there" themselves!

Peter also sends greetings from "she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you." Commentaries tell us that this probably refers to the Christian church in Rome. They were enduring the fires of Nero's persecution, and Peter probably used "Babylon" as a code word. Much like the icthus, or icthys symbol, that allowed Christians to safely identify each other, words could be used to identify but still protect believers. The symbolism would use Babylon as the easily identifiable place of wickedness and opposition to God. In the center of that evil, God had planted His church, and by these letters, the church in Rome was linked with these churches in Asia in the great cause of the spread of Christ's gospel.

Peter also mentions Mark, and calls him his son. Mark wasn't his physical son, but had become like a son to Peter as they served Christ together. Years earlier, Mark had been afraid of persecution, and had deserted Paul and Barnabas. Now he'd grown into a faithful man of God, ready to endure hardship for the gospel.

Peter concludes by encouraging the church members to give the customary kiss on the cheek, as is still practiced in some cultures today. We don't need to adopt this literally, but we definitely should be warm and welcoming as we greet other believers, and non-believers, too.

When we go through trials, it is easier to trust and stand when we support one another as family in Christ. When we stand firm together, we support those who need encouragement. We also provide accountability..... Peter says we need to stand firm in God's true grace.  We can look in Jude 4 to see what "false grace" is:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4)

False grace is what portrays the Christian life as a "everything's cool, be tolerant of everyone, go with the flow" sort of faith. True grace teaches us to be holy, even as God is holy.  False grace whispers that the Christian life should require no effort, things should come easy, life is easy street. True grace reminds us that we need to be active; we need to exert ourselves to stand firm. It tells us that we need to trust and stand, enduring hardship as we live righteously in an unrighteous world.