As the universal shepherd is admonishing believers on the Christian way of life, he summarizes the virtues that are expected of believers and particularly calls us not to repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse. The willingness of Christians to forgive others is the hallmark of our faith in every age. The chief apostle beckons us to repay evil “with a blessing.” In this way, we allow grace to work and we in turn “inherit a blessing.” Holding on to bitterness and hate enslaves us, while forgiveness frees us. Peter’s guidance to “repay with a blessing” is in a sense a reflection of Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies.