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1 Peter 1:17-21
e invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Peter has been telling us what we need to do as those who are God’s adopted children, or Christians. Now God is going to lead him in telling us why we need to do those things. We will see all we do is to be done “in the fear of God”. The current heresy of easy-believism, or just say you’re saved and all is well, has reduced God to nothing more than “Grandpa” who isn’t going to hurt anyone. If you can find that in the Bible, send it to me, I’d like to see it. Peter is going to share four reasons to live in the fear of God.
- WE ARE STRANGERS IN THIS LAND! Peter actually wrote in verse 17 “IF” you call… He did not write “since”. The word ”IF” makes the connection between what he has told us to do, and why we must do it. He says, “if you say God is your Father, and you pray to Him, and He has given you new life, then your life better reflect the same thing.” In our language it might read,“if you are going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk.” Another reason to fear God is because we are now strangers to this world. When God called us to salvation He also separated us (v.2). When Peter wrote, strangers were more often than not considered enemy spies who had come to compromise the security of the realm. They were often executed. As Christians we live in harmony with God through a holy life, because we realize the life we life is entirely in His control, and, after that the judgment. See the connection?
- WE KNOW THE COST OF OUR REDEMPTION! All the power and potential of v. 18 is in the word “know.” It means a deep, intimate, personal awareness of something. Because a Christian has that kind of knowledge about the cost of their salvation, it should strike deep fear into their hearts to even consider for one moment anything that would desecrate or blaspheme the nature and character of the God Who saved them.
- WE ARE NEAR THE RETURN OF OUR REDEEMER! Even a casual reading of the NT reveals those Christians expected Christ to return in their life time. The eminent return of Christ was one major reason for such a radical and immediate change in their lifestyle after salvation. How sad it is that we have lost that expectation of Christ’s return during our lifetime! No one really expects Him to return soon, so we don’t live like we will ever have to worry about it. Four letters in Scripture should help us keep accountability in the front of our mind. Those letters are B-E-M-A! Finally, we live in fear of God because
- HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE! Even though our life here can, at times, be very hard and even unpleasant, it is all just temporary. Read Rom. 8:28-39 where Paul tells us eventually God will workall things out so all creation will be like it was when He first created it. In the meantime we see that just as Christ was relieved of every iota of earthly ungodliness, so will we. What a blessing and celebration that will be for all Christians.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
