The Crucible and the Crown

Core Truth #32

Q: What do justification and sanctification mean?


A: Justification means our declared righteousness before God. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1–2

Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 as a group.

How do you typically react when you are going through a difficult time?

How does it make you feel to learn that people should expect suffering to go hand in hand with following Jesus? What kind of suffering do you think you might experience in your life for being a Christian?

Paul said that knowing Jesus was more valuable to him than anything else. Can you say the same? How do you know if that is true?

What kind of suffering have you gone through in your life? In what way has it made you more like a Jesus? 

Based on 1 Peter 4:12-19, how do you think you should pray the next time you go through a hard time?