Living a Holy life – summary thoughts on 1st Peter 1:13-25

From what I’ve gathered from the reading, here’s a “short” outline/summary along some verses that came to mind for further referencing of those requirements that the Apostle Peter laid out in 1st Peter 1 verses 13-25 for Christians to live a holy life.

REQUIREMENTS FOR LIVING A HOLY LIFE

1. Have a mind prepared for action
   1. Being self controlled v13
      See Galatians 5:22-26, 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5
   2. Having hope in the grace given by God through Christ Jesus our Lord & Savior v13
      See John 3:16-20,Romans 3:23-25, Romans 5:20-21
   3. Do not continue to live as though you are still a sinner v14
      See 1st Peter 2:11, Ephesians 2:11-22, John 15:18-19
   4. Live in Christ and with the knowledge of knowing Christ through God’s Word v14
      See John 5:36-40,John 15:3-5, 2nd Corinthians 4:6
   5. Be obedient and submit to God and His will v14
      See Deuteronomy 11:12-14, Matthew 22:35-37,Luke 10:26-28, John 14:21-25
      1. In heart
      2. In mind
      3. In body
         1. In deeds
         2. In word(s)
2. Live as aliens of the world, not as it’s citizens do v17
   See John 15:18-19, 1st Thessalonians 5:1-5
3. Fear the Lord out of reverence v17
   See Deuteronomy 6:23-25, Psalm 19:8-10, Psalm 33:17-19, Psalm 111:9-10
4. Be eternally minded v18
   See Isaiah 26:3-5, Matthew 25:31-46, John 3:15-17,2nd Corinthians 4:16-18
5. Cherish the new life given to you by the blood of Christ v18-20
   See 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 6:12-15 & 1st  Peter 1:23
6. Remember that you are saved and why you are saved v21
   1. By God’s mercy & grace
      See 2nd Corinthians 4:6
   2. By and through Christ’s blood, and atoning sacrifice to appease God’s coming wrath against sinner
      See Romans 6:19-25
7. Abide (continue) in the love of God v22
   See 1st Corinthians 13:7-9, John 14:22-24, 1st John 2:4-6, 1st John 5:2-4
   1. Deeply
   2. Unconditionally
   3. Sacrificially
   4. Selflessly
8. Remember God’s promises v24
   See Ephesians 2:11-13, Psalm 33:17-19, Daniel 9:4

Grace and peace be with you.

Beyond me, beyond you

Prior to the nation of Israel crossing over the Jordan River into the Land that God had promised, Moses reminds Israel of the decrees and laws commanded by God.  In his reminder to Israel, Moses informs the nation that their possession is not merely about land; he instead explains that being God’s chosen people carries with it spiritual implications that extend beyond the genealogical and physical boundaries of Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:1-8
1 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

3 You saw with your own eyes what the LORD did at Baal Peor. The LORD your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 4 but all of you who held fast to the LORD your God are still alive today.

5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

See, the Israelites weren’t given the land because of their righteousness (see Deuteronomy 9), instead God intended Israel, based on His decrees and laws, to serve as the moral compass to their future neighbors.  Just as the few held fast to the Lord during the 40 year exodus, they were expected to continue to hold fast to everything that God had commanded in the new land, not just for their sakes but for that of their neighbors as well.    Likewise Jesus reiterates the same intention for the church when He says…

Matthew 5:14-16
14″You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

So today, we’re also called to be the moral compass to our communities, families, workplaces etc;.

Here’s a question though…?

Are you holding fast to the Biblical Jesus?  The peace, love, and compassionate aspects of Christ are surely a draw, but what about His commands, His non-compromise of Scripture?

You neighbor’s life may very well depend on whether or not you hold fast, to all of what God has commanded. (See also: Romans 12:1-2)

Matthew 5:17-20
17″Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Grace and peace be with you.

It is Your Life! – Blackaby devotional (20091019)

For it is not a futile thing for you,because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land, which you cross over the Jordan to possess.
Deuteronomy 32:47

It’s puzzling that so many Christians try to live the Christian life without reading their Bible, except for sporadic perusals of God’s Word, seeking a pithy thought for the day. The Word of God is not merely a source of helpful suggestions, preventative warnings, or inspirational thoughts: It is life itself!

God gathered the children of Israel at the edge of the Promised Land to review their pilgrimage with Him. They had spent forty years in a desert because their parents had not trusted God’s Word. Their parents died without seeing the Promised Land because they had not believed God’s Word. Even the revered Moses was soon to leave them because he had not shown proper reverence for God’s Word. Many of them knew those who had been put to death as a consequence of their disobedience to God’s Word. Over the years God’s Word had become the most important thing in the life of the Israelites.

God commanded His people to bind His words on their hearts, to teach them diligently to their children, and to regularly discuss them in their homes. (Deuteronomy. 6:4-9). So essential was His Word that it was to hold a prominent place in the daily lives of His people.

Our reverence for God’s Word is revealed not only by what we say but also by what we do. Spending more time reading and studying the words of people rather than the Word of God, reveals our hearts’ condition. To blatantly disregard God’s Word is to reject life itself. To obey God’s Word is the surest way to experience all that God has in store for us.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Circumcision circumstances common to the Common Era Church

First off, I still subscribe to referring to this era since Christ’s crucifixion as A.D. (after death).  To keep with the “C” theme in today’s post title though, I had to be a little creative, so “Common Era” (C.E) it is…

In his letter to the Roman Church, Paul dismisses the idea of a “medical procedure” (circumcision) as being the mark (blessedness) of righteousness.

Romans 4:9-12
9Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

As I was preparing for this past Sunday’s class, I was at a loss for a while, as to how to illustrate to the class the relevance of the circumstances from this Scripture in the Church today.  Relevant as in: “How how do “we” repeat the same attitudes?” I believe that within the Church “we” sometimes mimic the circumcision group advocates mentality that Paul was correcting in Romans 4  by holding views as to what makes fellow believers in Christ sanctified by:

• External appearances: judging/basing our brother’s & sister’s sanctity on the clothes they wear etc; Matthew 23:25-26
  25″Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
  
• Church attendance: keeping tabs of other’s attendance, feeling superior or looking down on those that don’t attend regularly

  Luke 18:9-14
  9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10″Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

  13″But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

  14″I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

• Selfish prides: contempt/judgment toward others that don’t make an offering

  Philippians2:3-4
  3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

• “Acting” like the ideal Christian: looking down on other’s children that don’t behave as yours do or as you think they ought to

Paul’s point was/is, that faith is a matter of the heart; it’s a spiritual matter, which is more important to God than ritual or tradition(s).  How about you the reader?  Are there other ways that we advocate “flesh” based “circumcision” today?

See also: Deuteronomy 10:16, Romans 2:25-29, 1 Corinthians 7:18-19 & Ephesians 2:11-13

Grace and peace be with you.

Victory Versus Defeat – Blackaby Devotional

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways…The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them.
Deuteronomy 28:7, 25

As the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, God set before them a choice: Heed His voice, obey His commandments, and experience continued victory. Or turn from God, disobey His word, and experience repeated and resounding defeat. It was a simple choice. The choice they made would be evident by the results on the battlefield.

The assurance of victory did not mean that the Israelites would not have to strap on their armor and go to battle. It did not assure them of effortless victory. At times their enemies fought fiercely, and the battles raged back and forth. Nevertheless, as the Israelites walked closely with God, they knew that their efforts would always result in victory.

God gives us the same choice He gave the Israelites. If we walk with Him, obedient to His word, He will stand with us and ensure victory over our challenges. We must face the battle, but God promises us victory if we remain in His will. However, if we choose to disassociate from God, we surely will be overtaken by difficulties. As with the Israelites, our decision will be evident by the outcome. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, your heart has departed from God.

If you have been experiencing defeat in the challenges you face, examine your heart. When you are buffeted by the crises of life, your heart may have shifted away from God. Choose to listen to God. Then obey what He tells you, no matter what you face, and you will experience victory.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day