2:2-3 Spiritual Growth People with intellectual disabilities have the same spiritual needs as everyone else. Their learning processes may vary, but they can also “grow into a full experience of salvation.” When we remain dedicated to nurturing all believers as they grow in their faith, the entire body of Christ is able to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Ps 34:8).
2:5, 9 An Urgent Message When we decide to become followers of Christ, we become part of a holy priesthood—representatives of God himself. We are ministers of reconciliation between the Lord and the unbelieving world; we are Christ’s ambassadors charged with spreading the message, “Come back to God!” (2 Cor 5:18-20). If we retreat to the isolation of our own circumstances and suffering, we miss out on living in community with others who will benefit from our message that God is good.
2:20 Good Suffering When we enter into the lives of people dealing with suffering, we wade into their struggles in order to support them. For example, choosing to befriend someone with mental illness is not always easy. However, Scripture tells us to expect suffering even when we are doing good things.
2:21-25 Power Tools Peter shows that Jesus is our ultimate model of how to suffer in a way that will draw others into the Kingdom of God. Jesus, whose suffering on the cross can’t be compared with our own suffering, endured the cross to save us. When we endure suffering patiently, imitating Christ our Lord, that suffering becomes a powerful tool of evangelism in the Lord’s hands.