Peter 1: 17-25
Since you call on a Father who judges man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these the last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
A Thought
God created a perfect world in the Garden of Eden, until Adam and Eve disobeyed God; thus sin was born. Sin and disobedience brought judgement or punishment to be handed down to all future generations. All sin will be judged by God the Father. The price for sin could not be bought with silver, gold, any other perishable thing. The only price for sin was paid by the precious blood of God’s own perfect son, Jesus Christ. Our faith and only hope is to believe and receive this gift of forgiveness by the grace of Jesus the Christ. Then we must obey the truth of God’s word with sincere love for our brothers and sisters. We have been born again into the imperishable living, enduring word of God that will judge the work of all mankind. We should now live our short lives as strangers here on earth with reveverance for our God while Jesus is preparing a new, eternal home, for all who believe, where there will be no more sin. Praise be to God!
Our Prayer
Father thank you for your gift of love for us through your son Jesus the Christ that we, and all future generations, can be redeemed from all sin by his shed blood. We desire to live our lives in honor of you and to obey commands in your holy word. We call on you to fill us with your love that we will love our neighbors. We believe your great promises made to each of us. Help us to purify ourselves with your word and keep our promises to you. Awaken us to the power of your Holy Spirit. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
