Peter is writing to a group of dispersed Christians who are experiencing rejection, being ostracized, and being denied certain privileges because of their faith. They’re experiencing suffering for taking a stand for Jesus. This letter emphasizes our Christian responsibility as "sojourners and exiles" in a world that desperately needs the influence of the good news of Jesus. Peter exhorts us that Christians shouldn’t be surprised or ashamed to suffer for doing the right thing in an often contrary and hostile world. God uses our suffering to strengthen and purify our faith, as well as to demonstrate the truth of the beauty of the gospel to the watching world.