Do we receive the full measure of God’s grace on earth? (1 Peter 1:13)

Question

NASB translation of 1 Peter 1:13:

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Question: What is the grace that will be brought in Jesus’s second coming? Is Peter saying that we should fix our hope specifically on that grace in the future, because we do not have the full measure of God’s grace right now in Christ?

Answer 1

This is one of those questions where we need to tread very carefully and not be too pedantic with Biblical language.

First, the NT is clear that when Christ imparts grace, it is fully:

• 2 Cor 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed (NASB)
• 1 Peter 1:2 - … May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure (NASB)

Let there be no doubt about the considerable grace required to forgive all people: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Rom 3:23, 24.

The fact that we have free grace does not mean that all the benefits of that grace are given at once. Sinners do not immediately become perfect; total reformation and transformation does not immediately occur. In fact, the NT is quite clear about this that we are to grow in Christian grace which the NT describes in a variety of ways such as:

• “reflecting the Lord’s glory and being transformed into His likeness” (2 Cor 3:18)
• being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2)
• “perfecting holiness” (2 Cor 7:1)
• “partaking in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)
• “growing up into Christ” (Eph 4:15)
• “pressing toward the mark” (Phil 3:12-15)
• “being built up in Christ” (Col 2:7)
• “becoming complete in all the will of God” (Col 4:12)
• “growing in grace” (2 Peter 3:18)
• "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2), etc, etc.

The end result of this salvation, as Peter is at pains to point out is the great blessed hope (Titus 2:13) of Jesus' return and our "being gathered to Him" (2 Thess 2:1) and so tells us to "Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13. It will be at this time that we will be transformed as 1 Cor 15:51-53 describes:

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

Little wonder that Peter tells us to concentrate on this great event.

Answer 2

Do we receive the full measure of God’s grace on earth? Yes: "the Lord be with your spirit, grace be with you" 2 Tim 4:22. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" Philemon 1:25. What is the grace that will be brought in Jesus’s second coming? [W]e do not have the full measure of God’s grace right now in Christ? "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Pet 3:18. "Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" 1 Jn 3:2. "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time to those who eagerly await Him, apart from sin, unto salvation" Heb 9:28

Answer 3

Do we receive the full measure of God’s grace on earth? (1 Peter 1:13)

Question: What is the grace that will be brought in Jesus’s second coming? Is Peter saying that we should fix our hope specifically on that grace in the future, because we do not have the full measure of God’s grace right now in Christ?

Peter pointed out that their hope is not founded on their works, but on God's grace, and wrote:

NASB translation of 1 Peter 1:13:

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Christ will be revealed when he comes to reward his faithful followers and execute God's judgments upon the wicked.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 (NASB)

6 "For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed."

Grace: Is a free gift from God and is eternal life:

Humans could not met all of God's requirements , if they did , his grace would be deserved , as it is we are imperfect and "fail." So wise King Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NASB)

20 "Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins."

Likewise Paul wrote:

Romans 3:23 and 6:23 (NASB)

23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

God expressed his love for fallen mankind by sending ,"his only-begotten Son" to earth to die on our behalf:

John 3:16 (NASB)

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Hebrews 2:9 NASB

So Paul wrote concerning Jesus : "But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone."

Grace is :" But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."(NASB Romans 6: 23)