1 Peter 1:22

A Call to Holy Living

22 Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts. (NLT)

 

The world does not love as God loves. The world’s kind of love is conditional. The world says “If you perform to my standards then I will love you” or “If you do as I tell you then I’ll love you.” But praise be to God that He is not like that. When you accept Jesus Christ and the truth of the Good News of the gospel you can now begin to love as God loves, unconditionally. God loves you in spite of yourself. You were once wicked but now He has made you clean in His sight. God loves the unlovable and you too are to love the unlovable as God does. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:21

A Call to Holy Living

21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. (NLT)

 

You can confidently put your faith and hope in God. God has provided and continues to provide everything you need. God knows what you need before you know it. It is God who gave you life, it is He who gives you breath and it is He who provided your salvation. God has created everything that you will ever need and God has given you everything you need to live out your life for Jesus Christ. God never said that He will give you everything you want but He said He will provide for your needs. God has got your best in mind. Put your faith, trust and hope in the God who provides for you and loves you.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

                                                                   

1 Peter 1:17-20

A Call to Holy Living

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth. 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you. (NLT)

 

The life that you live needs to be lived in reverent fear of the God, who created you and died for you. God did not use gold or silver to purchase you but He used the precious lifeblood of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of your sins. Therefore you need to take seriously the life you now live in Christ. Abide in Christ as Christ abides in you. Do not take the life in Christ lightly or for granted for Holy blood was shed for you. Remember that He did this for you.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:15-16

A Call to Holy Living

15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God — who chose you to be his children — is holy. 16 For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." (NLT)

 

"You must be holy because I am holy." As you walk each day with Christ you should be more like Him every day.  God has called you to Holiness, He has called you live to a higher standard and He gives you everything you need to live to that standard. God did not call you and then leave you to fend for yourself but He gave you the Holy Spirit to guide and to teach how you are to live new in Christ. Leave behind the things of this world along with selfishness and follow Jesus into a loving and selfless life that bring honor and glory unto God your father. Remember it is not about you it is all about Jesus Christ.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:13-14

A Call to Holy Living

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. 14 Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. (NLT)

 

Jesus gives you blessings as you live here on earth, but at His return there will be even more. So we are to look forward to His return for His return itself is a blessing because you get to spend eternity with Him. So think clearly, do not let the ways of the world creep into your life but rather exercise self-control and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Obey God. Why? Because you are His children and you represent His kingdom. Always be moving forward in Christ and do not go backwards into your old life for your life in Christ is far superior then to the old ways. Christ is now your life live in Him.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:10-12

10 This salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about. They prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, even though they had many questions as to what it all could mean. 11 They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward. They wondered when and to whom all this would happen.

12 They were told that these things would not happen during their lifetime, but many years later, during yours. And now this Good News has been announced by those who preached to you in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. (NLT)

 

The salvation that you enjoy today the prophets long ago wanted to enjoy and experience, but their place was only to tell others that it was coming. They longed to see it come but they had to wait. Salvation is here and it is to be shared with everyone. They prepared the way, they foretold of the coming of Christ and all that He must suffer for everyone.

The Angels in heaven waited with great eagerness for the day that Jesus would come to earth to seek and to save the lost, to see His victory and now we too have that victory in Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit now lives within each one of you and you are to follow the leading of the Spirit to guide you to those how need the message of grace.

The prophets proclaimed the coming of Christ. Christ came and died for the world and has passed the torch on to us to continue proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost a dying world. For Jesus is the only hope this world will ever need.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ