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.

Those Who Mourn – Blackaby devotional

"Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."
Matthew 5:4

God wants us to experience His joy (John 15:11). Yet we cannot experience His joy until we have mourned over our sin. If we do not grieve over the weight of our sin, we have no concept of sin’s devastating power. If we treat our sin lightly, we demonstrate that we have no sense of the enormity of our offense against almighty God. Our sin caused the death of God’s Son. It causes us to fall short of what God intends (Romans 3:23). It brings pain and sorrow to others, as well as to ourselves.

The Bible says that those who grieve over their sin will draw near to God (James 4:8-10). Those who  mourn and weep over their sin are in a position to repent (Luke 4:18-19). There cannot be repentance without the realization of the gravity of sin. Regret for sin’s consequences is not the same as sorrow for sinning against holy God. Confession of sin is not necessarily an indication of repentance. Repentance comes only when we acknowledge that our transgression has come from a heart that is far from God, and we are brokenhearted over our grievous offenses against holy God.

Jesus said that those who are heartbroken over their sin will find comfort. They will experience new dimensions of God’s love and forgiveness. His infinite grace is sufficient for the most terrible sin. Do not try and skip the grieving process of repentance in order to move on to experience joy. God will not leave you to weep over your sin but will forgive you, comfort you, and fill you with His joy.

Experiencing God Day-by-Day
Henry T. and Richard Blackaby

Who are we pleasing?

A thought or two that’s been whirling around in the noggin of late is this:

Where’s the line between practicing (godly) grace and being “tolerant”?

I think the answer is available to us all when we recall what God has freely given us as believers & followers of Christ.

John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

As Christians we do have this balancing act that we go through daily; trying to live holy lives (Romans 12:1-3), yet still in the world which means that we’re subject to having our Biblical worldview challenged by worldly ideas and philosophies.  Being challenged however doesn’t mean adaptation.

Grace and peace be with you.