1 Peter 1:17-21

1 Peter 1:17-21

And if you all call upon the Father who judges impartially according to the work of each, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your life in a foreign land.  Having known that you were being redeemed out of your futile way of conduct handed down by your forefathers not by perishable things – silver or gold – but rather by valuable blood of Christ – as a lamb of unblemished and spotless nature – in one hand having been foreknown before the foundation of the world and in another case after being revealed upon the last days for your sake, the ones believing through Him into God, who raised Him out of the dead and who glorified Him in order for your faith and hope to be into God.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Peter just makes sense in this opening sentence.  If I believe in God and I believe God cares about what I do, then why wouldn’t I conduct myself in a way that is pleasing to Him?  Why would I want to act in a way that makes Him mad?  Furthermore, if I am of God and I am in a foreign land here on this earth, why would I want to act in a way that is more like the ways of this world than the ways of the God?  No.  I am a citizen of heaven and a follower of God.  I should conduct my life in a way that pleases God.

In what ways do you conduct yourself in ways that represent your heavenly citizenship?  In what ways do you conduct yourself in ways that look like the ways of the world?

Second Thought:

Next, Peter reinforces the manner of our purchase.  We were bought with the blood of Christ.  Notice to what Peter compares Christ.  He says that the blood of Christ is valuable, yet things like silver and gold are perishable.  That is such an interesting contrast in multiple ways.  First of all, it shows the value of life.  Blood – life – is more precious than metals.  Second, it shows the perspective of the world.  If you set the Gospel of Jesus in front of someone and set a large sum of gold or silver in front of someone, a worldly person is going to take the money every time.

What would you prefer – the blood of Christ or a large sum of gold or silver?  Does your life demonstrate this?

Third Thought:

Peter ends this section with a really neat perspective on Christ, too.  Why did Christ come?  He came so that our faith and hope might be in God.  This shows the self-sacrificial nature of God very well.  Jesus didn’t come for His sake.  Jesus didn’t come to prove Himself worthy.  Jesus didn’t come to get revenge on Satan.  He came so that we who were lost to sin might be able to put our faith into God.  It’s that pure and that simple.

Why is this a great example of selflessness?  How does this demonstrates God’s willingness to make sacrifices of Himself?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Peter 1:22-25