This morning I read through 1 John, another eyewitness testimony of who Jesus is. John’s message, like the messages of Paul and Peter, speaks strongly of salvation and holiness.

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. – 1 John 1:5-10

John is saying that God is holy – He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. God does not sin and cannot sin because He is the definition of holy. So, we cannot say that we have fellowship with God if we willfully keep sinning because sin separates us from God. Sin in our lives is spiritual darkness and God is light.

But, here’s the good news. We do not have to continue living in sin. We have a choice. God not only forgives us of our sins, He also cleanses us from all wickedness. He does a work in our lives and in our hearts, making us into a new creation. We are no longer slaves to sin but have been given the Spirit. Instead of giving into our sinful urgings, we can give into the urgings of the Spirit. It is then that we are able to experience fellowship with God – living in the light, as God is in the light.

We have all sinned and, because we are human, we are imperfect. But, when we live by the Spirit, the Spirit speaks to us when attitudes are creeping in or when our words are not pleasing to God. We have a choice in that moment to listen to the Spirit and yield to the urgings not to continue with that attitude or to stop speaking or apologize for what has already been said. Or we can ignore the Spirit and give into our sinful urgings. That is when we sin and that is when we choose spiritual darkness that separates us from God. God is holy and He is calling us to be holy, just as He is equipping us with His Spirit in order to live a holy life.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. – 1 John 2:1-6

To live as Jesus did – that’s a tall order. I’m so thankful that I am not given this assignment to complete on my own. Thank you, Jesus, for being my advocate – my truly righteous sacrifice. I love you, Jesus. My desire today is that my love for You will show in my obedience to the Spirit. My desire is to live IN You instead of living FOR me. Amen.

Peter spends the rest of his second letter warning the believers. The first chapter talked about growing in our relationship with God. The next two chapters talk about the dangers of walking away from our relationship with God and back into sin, instead of taking steps of growth.

Peter starts by warning them against false teachers who would slander the truth, making up clever lies in order to obtain money from unknowing believers (2:1-3). This is one way we could be led away from God’s truth rather than growing in the knowledge of Him. Then we begin to let sin slip into our lives instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to produce holiness.

Consider the stories from the Old Testament we grew up learning about. God did not tolerate sin then and He doesn’t now.
– God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment (2:4).
– Consider Noah. God protected Noah and his family but did not spare those around him who were living in sin. They were destroyed by the flood (2:5).
– Consider Lot. He lived in a city surrounded by shameful immorality of wicket people. Instead of joining in the sin, Lot was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. God rescued Lot while making an example of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, showing this is what will happen to ungodly people (2:6-8).

God will judge those who follow their own twisted sexual desires (2:10).
God will judge those who despise authority (2:10).
God will judge the proud and the arrogant (2:11).
God will judge the false teachers who delight in deception and indulge in evil pleasures, committing adultery with their eyes and luring unstable people into sin (2:12-14).

You are a slave to whatever controls you. – 2 Peter 2:19b

That is a powerful statement. The false teachers Peter was talking about had been believers at one time but had wandered off the right road. For them, the love of money was what began to control them. They then began arrogant and boastful, bragging about themselves. Next came twisted sexual desires, which they tried to use to lure others into this lifestyle of deception. They promised it would bring freedom – the freedom to do what you want and live as you would like. It’s your right! But there is no freedom in sin and they became slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.” – 2 Peter 2:20-22

Peter reminds us of how God destroyed the wickedness of the world with a flood and how the day is coming when He will use fire to destroy ungodly people. The day is coming, even though it seems to us like God is taking his time to judge the sin. But this reveals His heart. This is one of my favorite verses about this wonderful God who spends time with me each morning over a cup of my morning coffee.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. – 2 Peter 3:8-9

Peter wraps up his letter with words of encouragement. He has described what happens when we grow in our relationship with God vs. what happens when we let sin control us. Peter also explained how we can grow in our knowledge of God – by coming to Him, by responding to His promises, and by experiencing Him. It’s our choice now. What will we choose?

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. – 2 Peter 3:14-15a, 17b-18

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you GROW in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. – 2 Peter 1:2

What a great blessing to start out our week. This is why I pour a cup of my morning coffee each day and sit down to spend time with God. I desire to grow in my knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. This morning I noticed three different ways in the first chapter of Peter’s second letter to GROW in our knowledge of Him.

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3

The first way to grow in our knowledge of God is obvious – by coming to know him. When we come to God, intentionally spending time in His word and bringing every detail of our life to Him, we grow closer to Him. Our understanding of this Almighty God increases each day as we soak in His Scriptures and pray to Him. We grow in our relationship with God.

And because of HIS glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. – 2 Peter 1:4-5

So a second way to grow in our knowledge of God is to respond His promises. God promises that He has given us everything we need to live a godly life. Because He is a glorious God and an excellent God, He is able to promise us the possibility of a godly life. He makes it possible by enabling us to share in His divine nature, with which we can escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. So when our human desires say to sin and the world is pulling us to sin, God promises that He has given us the ability to choose holiness – to respond to the Spirit instead of to the sinful nature.

But we still have to RESPOND to His promises. We have to accept the gift given. By His grace, we can grow in our knowledge of Him and, in response, claim His promises. Peter explains how this growth takes place and what it looks like.

Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 4b-11

A third way Peter mentions we can grow in our knowledge of God is through experiences. He spoke of his own eyewitness account of the Transfiguration of Jesus and then how that experience increased his confidence in the message of Jesus Christ.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place – until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. – 2 Peter 1:19-21

Because of His grace, we are able to come to Him, respond to His promises, and grow from our experience of Him. In all of this, we grow in our knowledge of who He is – not just because we understand what we are reading, but because we are experiencing Him firsthand. He fills us with His Holy Spirit and begins to speak through us!

WOW! I love God’s plan of redemption. It’s about so much more than the forgiveness of my sins. It’s about a relationship – a growing process that produces godly living and magnificent experiences! So, I wake up each morning and pour myself a cup of coffee. Then I sit down with my God and His word – the words that are like a lamp shining in a dark place. And then I experience Him; I experience Christ the Morning Star shining in my heart. And I grow…by grace…through faith…coming to Him…claiming His promises…and daily experiencing Him! Praise God!!!

It’s Friday, so I am back in Psalms and it fits so well with all that Peter had to say to us this week about the fiery trials. The writer of the Psalms I read today spoke of the hard times but praised God through it all. He recognized how incredible our God is, how powerful and mighty He is and how loving and personal He is. The acknowledgement of God can help us to see His presence in every situation. He never leaves us. He is there to restore, support and strengthen us (1 Peter 5:10).

In Psalm 19, David is in awe of the heavens. When he considered the skies, he saw the craftsmanship of God. When he watched the sun move across the sky each day, He sat back in wonder of the God who designed such a plan. He saw God’s perfection in His creation, commandments, instructions, decrees and laws. He did not see them as restrictive but described them as sweet, fine and useful.

They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. – Psalm 19:10-11

Then David looked inward and saw his sinful heart. He begged the God of Creation to cleanse him of his sins and to keep him from deliberate sins. His prayer was that sin would not control him. I love the heart of his prayer:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. – Psalm 19:14

In Psalm 22, David is crying out to God in the midst of his fiery trial. We can probably all relate at one time or another to the emotions expressed in this Psalm.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. – Psalm 22:1-2

I can just hear Peter saying – “…don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something stranger were happening to you. Instead, be very glad…” (1 Peter 4:12). David would have agreed, for in the same Psalm he declared that he WOULD proclaim God’s name and that he WOULD praise the Lord and honor Him.

Another connection I see between David and Peter is their reference to God as a Shepherd. Peter refers to Him as the Great Shepherd and David wrote one of the most popular Psalms declaring how the Lord was His Shepherd and would guide him and walk with him, even through the darkest valleys. Or, as Peter would say, fiery trials.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths, bring honor to his name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23

Thank you for joining me over a cup of my morning coffee this week. I pray there were some who were encouraged by Peter’s letter and by David’s song. As we end the week, I’d like to pray David’s words from Psalm 20 for you.

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.

Dear Friends,

All I have said to you in my letters over the last three days is to help you understand what you are going through. I do not want you to be surprised at these fiery trials, as if something strange is happening to you. It’s not strange, it is to be expected!

Now your former friends, they are the ones who should be surprised. They were surprised when you no longer partied with them and participated in destructive behaviors. Their reaction was to slander you. But you have had enough of all the evil things your godless friends enjoy – the immorality and lust, the feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, as well as the worship of idols. You are tired of chasing after your own desires. Now you are anxious to do the will of God.

So do just that! Chase after God’s will! Everything God has called you to do, all the spiritual gifts He has given you, do it with all the strength and energy God supplies you with. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

The end of the world is coming soon, when all people will have to face God’s judgment. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Did you hear that? Earnest and disciplined – do those words describe your prayer life? Most importantly, continue to show deep love for each other, FOR LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

If you think your former friends have been rough on you, watch out for your great enemy – the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, just looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. You are not the only one going through a hard time. Your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of sufferings you are.

So don’t be surprised , instead be very glad – glad for these trials that make you partners with Christ in his suffering. One day you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory revealed to all the word. In His kindness, God has called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So, after you have suffered a little while, He will RESTORE, SUPPORT, and STRENGTHEN you and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power to Him forever! Amen.

So don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Instead, praise God for the PRIVILEGE of being called by His name! Be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or praying into other people’s affairs. For the time will come for judgment, and it must begin with us – God’s household.

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you (1 Peter 4:19).

And now, for those of you who are leaders in the Church, I have these words for you. Take care of the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not wondering how you can personally gain from your work, but simply because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord over the people assigned to your care but, as their shepherd, lead them by your own great example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. So humble yourself under the mighty power of God. Don’t try to lift yourself up, but wait for God who will lift you up in honor at the right time.

I know it hasn’t been easy, that is why I am writing to you. I want to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (5:7).

Greet each other will Christian love.

Peace out (or Peace be with all of you who are in Christ– 5:14),

Peter
(1 Peter 4:3-5:14)

If Peter was writing chapter three of his first letter to us, maybe it would read something like this:

Dear Friends,

First let me speak to all of you wives in the church (the Texan version would say “all ya’ll”). Remember in yesterday’s letter how I spoke of Christ’s example to us – how he suffered for us and we should follow in his steps. In the same way he accepted the authority of God’s plan for him to carry our sins on the cross, you must accept the authority of your husbands. This kind of godly life will speak volumes to even those who refuse to obey the Good News. They will be won over simply by observing how pure and reverent your life is.

Look inside and see your inner beauty – the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is what matters and this is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. Not by concerning themselves with outward beauty enhanced by fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. Instead, they trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. Remember Sarah? She obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are daughters of Sarah when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.

Now husbands, it’s your turn. You must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should or don’t expect your prayers to reach God unhindered.

Now this part is for all of you – husbands and wives, men and women:
…all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. This is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it (1 Peter 3:8-9). For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:10-12; Psalm 34:12-16

Now, if you are doing the good God has called you to do, who will want to harm you? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of the threats of other people. Instead, worship Christ as Lord of your life!

If someone asks you about this hope that you have in Christ, be ready to explain it to them in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will only be ashamed of themselves when they see the evidence of the good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! – 1 Peter 3:17

Let’s consider again how Christ suffered for our sins. He never sinned but he died once for all sinners in order to bring you safely home to God. Did you catch that? “Safely” – remember this when you suffer. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

Remember those who disobeyed God a long time ago when Noah was building the ark. Only 8 people survived that flood. Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison of those who disobeyed and died. That water is a picture of baptism – it saves you now, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clear conscience. This is effective because Jesus Christ arose from the dead!

Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God (1 Peter 3:22-4:2).

So, wives submit to the authority of your husbands and husbands honor your wives, while both of you submit to the authority of God in your lives and honor Him as Lord. When life gets difficult and you suffer, remember that Christ suffered for your sins. Consider your baptism. The water that washed over you symbolizes that you have died to your old way of life, those sins Jesus carried on the cross. When you came out of the water, you were a new person – anxious to do the will of God!

You are a new person, one with inner beauty. Instead of retaliating, you keep a humble attitude and remain tender-hearted. You sympathize with others, love each other and pay back only with blessings. This is what God has called you to do and He will bless you for it!

Your friend,
Peter

Dear Friends,

Maybe this will help you to trust in God through the difficult times. Think of God as building a spiritual temple. He chose Christ for the great honor of being the cornerstone of His temple. And how lucky are you?!!! You get to be the living stones God is using to build this spiritual temple.

Not only are you the stones, you are also His holy priest. Because Jesus Christ is mediating for you, you are able to offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. You shouldn’t be surprised at this analogy. Remember what the Old Testament Scriptures say:

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
Chosen for great honor,
And anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” – 1 Peter 2:6; Isaiah 28:16

“The stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” – 1 Peter 2:7; Psalm 118:22

“He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” – 1 Peter 2:8; Isaiah 8:14

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, but you are not like them. You were chosen by God to be a royal priest, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. He called you out of darkness into his wonderful light so that you can show others the goodness of God.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:10

As God’s people, find your identity in Him and not in this world. Remember that you are “temporary residents and foreigners” so keep away from the worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

While you are in this world, you must show respect to all human authority for the Lord’s sake, for he has appointed them. They have been given a job to punish those who do wrong and honor those who do right – so do right! Live an honorable life, respect everyone and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Your honorable life will silence those who make foolish accusations against you. Don’t use your freedom as an excuse to sin.

So accept the authority of your bosses with all respect. Do what they tell you, whether they are kind and reasonable or cruel. God is pleased with you when you do what is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God will be very pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow his steps.

He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.
Once you were like sheep who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:21-15).

Are you ready to look to His example, to follow His steps? You may end up with wounds but He will be there to heal you by His wounds. You may feel lost in the chaos, but He will be your Shepherd, the Guardian of your soul.

Living under His authority because I am His,

Peter

1 Peter is a letter written to God’s people who were living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. Peter knew they were experiencing hard times – trials and persecution for their faith. Their faith was scorned, their morality criticized and their hope mocked. This letter was sent to encourage them to remain faithful. As pressure increased, Peter challenged them to renew their commitment and live out their faith in order to please God and to be a witness to God’s work of grace in their lives.

Can you relate? Every year it seems like the battle against Christianity in the United States intensifies. Our faith is scorned, our morality criticized and our hope in Christ mocked. Let’s study Peter’s letter as if it was written to us just days ago. We opened the mail today and read Peter’s words to us. I’ve taken the liberty of rewriting Peter’s letter to fit how I think he would have written to us today (1 Peter 1:1-2:3).

Dear Friends,

Isn’t God good?!! Isn’t God worthy of our praise this morning?!! The God who knew you and chose you long ago (in fact, before you were even born) has given you His Spirit to make you holy. He has cleansed you by the blood of Jesus Christ and just keeps giving you more and more grace, along with a big dose of peace.

Because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He has also given us the opportunity to be born again – all because of His GREAT mercy! Now we can live with great expectation of a priceless inheritance that He is keeping in heaven for us. Your inheritance is pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. Until the day comes when this inheritance will be revealed for all to see, God is protecting you through faith and by His power.

Did you hear that? God is protecting you, so be truly glad! I know you are going through lots of trials right now but there is a wonderful joy ahead. These trials are showing how genuine your faith in God is. Your faith is being tested just as fire tests and purifies gold. Your faith, which is even more precious than mere gold, is being strengthened and purified as you suffer through these hard times. And the result of your response is that you are bringing praise and glory and honor to Jesus Christ.

I know you have never seen Him but it is obvious you love Him. Though He is invisible right now, you trust him as if you can see Him. You rejoice with a joy that is glorious and inexpressible! The reward you will receive for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. I hope this encourages you.

I know things are difficult right now, but think of how blessed we are. The prophets foretold of this great salvation – of the suffering of Christ and how He would be glorified – but it wasn’t for them to experience. They knew the messages were not for themselves but for us. They were filled with the Spirit and joined the angels in eager expectation of what was going to happen.

So, think about this. Think about this gracious salvation we have to look forward to when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. Exercise self-control and live as God’s obedient children. He chose you; He has prepared an inheritance for you – you are His! So don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. Live a holy life because that’s what He desires – because He is a holy God. The Scriptures are clear when they say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

So, as “foreigners” in this world, remember that the inheritance you received from your ancestors was an empty life but God paid a ransom to save you – not a ransom of silver or gold but of the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom so choose a holy life. God will judge or reward you according to what you do – You can’t just get by on being His favorite.

So live in reverent fear of this holy God. Continue to trust in God through Jesus Christ. Because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, you have placed your faith and your hope in God. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now show evidence of this cleansing through your sincere love for your brothers and sister. Love each other DEEPLY with all your heart!

You have a new life that will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God! You have been born again! You no longer belong to the temporary things of this world so live for the eternal. Remember what the Scriptures say:

“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.” – 1 Peter 1:24

That word of the Lord the Scriptures are referring to is the same good news that has been preached to you. So live for the eternal and not for the temporary, no matter how strongly your faith is tested. Get rid of ALL evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

Now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness – yes, all the blessings you have experienced are only a “taste” of what you will receive – crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Get hungry for it! Crave it! Seek it! Nothing else matters because nothing else will last forever. Keep this in mind no matter what difficulties you may face today.

Remember He loves you and you are His!

With sincere and deep love,

Peter

This morning I read through Psalm 18 out of the NLT version as I drank my morning coffee. The Psalmist spent time praising God, lamenting to God, singing of God’s rescue and His salvation – of His unfailing love. It is a long Psalm but I’d like to share the verses that stuck out to me the most.

I love you, LORD;
you are my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
3 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

46 The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.

And let us run with ENDURANCE the race God has set before us. – Hebrews 12:1b

ENDURE God’s discipline and don’t give up when He corrects you because he loves you as a Father loves His child.

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong (Hebrews 12:10-13).

ENDURE the discipline so that we might share in His holiness, which looks like this:

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many (12:14-15).

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking…Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire (12:25a, 28-29).

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison…also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:1-8).

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a CONTINUAL sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God (Hebrews 13:14-16).

How do we do this? How do we live this kind of holy life? It seems impossible to endure and meet this high mark. Well, it is impossible…without God’s help. God, who is unshakable. Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. HE will equip you. HE will produce in you every good thing that is please to him.

Now may the God of peace –
Who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
The great Shepherd of the sheep,
And ratified an eternal covenant with his blood –
May he equip you with all you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
Through the power of Jesus Christ,
Every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. – Hebrews 13:20-21