1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
As
followers of Christ Jesus and citizens of heaven, Peter reminds us that we are
responsible for living godly lives as unto the Lord. We are not dead in our
trespasses and sins, with no hope for the future. Furthermore, Satan does not
hold us in the clutches of His evil grip. Jesus has set us free from the slave
market of sin and put us on a path to eternal life with Him in a fabulous place
called heaven. This freedom is made possible through the precious blood of
Christ Jesus shed for us on the Cross of Calvary. Consequently, we are to live
our lives in a manner that would bring honor to the name of Jesus and reflect
His glory to the lost world around us.
In
this verse of Scripture, Peter reminds us that because we are a part of the
Body of Christ, we have been chosen and are a part of the Royal Priesthood of
the followers of Jesus. There was a period when we were not in this elite group
of the children of God; however, due to our faith in the saving grace of Christ
Jesus, we are now counted among His children with all the benefits of being
part of the Royal Family of God.
As
Christians, we live in the world, but we do not follow the world. We are to be
a good reflection for the light of Christ Jesus to shine into the world so that
all who do not know Christ as their Savior can see He is the only way to
salvation and eternal life with our creator. Through faith, we have come alive
in Christ Jesus, and we should strive to stay in the unity of the Spirit and
the bond of peace. If those in our enemy's camp are hungry, let us strive to do
all we can to provide food for their starving people. If those around us are
thirsty, let us provide them with water. However, let us not forget the most
critical bread is the bread of life, and the most crucial water is the water of
life that can only be provided by our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
In
many ways, in this world we live in, too many people increasingly malign
Christians for minor matters. The importance of loving brotherhood and
sisterhood cannot be overstated. Naturally, there are issues of conduct or
doctrine that may need to be addressed in a local fellowship by the eldership,
but how sad when caustic words and unacceptable behaviors occur within the
Church, and how important it is that we seek to love the brotherhood and
sisterhood, and as far as we can be at peace with one another. God Loved the
world (John 3:16) so much that he died on the Cross so that all could come to a
saving grace and know eternal life. Since our Savior puts this value on all
people, shouldn't we also set a proper value on all people we encounter?
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