Christ has Achieved. We Go forth in Boldness

Devotion For Turkey Mission Trip

1 Peter 1:13–25 ESV

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

What can we learn about Christ from this passage ?

Christ has revealed to us His glorious , finished work on the cross. As Peter states earlier in this chapter He has CAUSED us to be born-again to a LIVING hope, a risen Hope.

vs 18-19 Christ has ransomed us, there is an exchange that takes place here. The Great exchange on the cross His Life for ours , strong words here, ransom.

So often we would think of Gold as one of the purest metals but Christ is of much more greater value and is imperishable , a lamb without a blemish, there was no spot in him which was imperfect.

So what does that imply to us in this life?

vs 14 We on the other hand are consumed by the passions of this world

But because of Christ our Identity is now in Him. He has made us Holy and we are no longer slaves to our own desires , our own passions but rather since HE who called us is Holy , we must be Holy in ALL our conduct because of his finished and complete work

vs 25 - so complete is His work in the Word, in Jesus that it will remain FOREVER

How should we be serving as a team ?

Christ has set us an example . We follow suit. We serve the people around us as He has served us.

Giving our lives to the needs of these people we are serving , loving each other earnestly (vs22) . Practically we can do these:

Get to know the people we are serving not just superficially but with earnest, sincere hearts

Do not hesitate to pray for people, do not just say I will pray for you, but lets pray for their needs immediately , taking it to God who already knows their needs

Let us Pray together as a team for the people that we serve that they may comprehend what we share, and that our actions wouldn’t be just a charitable act of kindness tha tis common to all that we see around but that which is everlasting and much more valuable than Gold, Silver, Health and Wealth.

Bottom line, we know that God has brought us here for a reason, and so we must make clear not just with our actions, not just with our service which are indeed important and needed but all the more, much-much more in and through our PRAYERS and words of this glorious GOSPEL, the Good news of Jesus Christ