1 Peter 2
Set Aside
Do you realize how kind the Lord has been to you? If so, then put away your impatience with your wife and kids, stop being lazy about your spiritual life, turn off the secret stuff. Grow up into the fullness of your salvation. Come to Jesus again and begin afresh where you are! 1 Peter 2:2 paraphrase
Like you and me, Peter came to grips with being stalled in his faith. On the outside, he still talked the talk, but without the fire — his faith was shallow.
Peter writes to people who have stalled or drifted and have lost the fire. He writes to inspire us to remember what is true about you and about God.
We can always come back
You see, Jesus’ law of love reaches where you are now. You can begin again again. No questions asked – well, other than the same three questions Jesus asked Peter in John 21:15-17 – Do you love Me?
Regardless of Peter’s behavior, he was a son of God. Same with you and me. Like the prodigal in Luke 15, we are forever His son. He welcomes us back without condemnation. The Apostle Paul piles on to confirms it: “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NASB
We are God’s chosen
Peter reminds you and me that we have been chosen by God Himself – you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own. 1 Peter 2:9a TLB
Friend, sit with this.
We are God’s chosen…and, we are set aside, not ordinary, but set aside as God’s special kids so that we can show others how God called us out of the darkness and into His wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9b TLB
We are visitors here
Spiritual amnesia, social media, and our culture fight to frame our view of what’s true. We seem to think our street address or our job description defines our citizenship.
Not so.
Our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God – not this world. We are merely passing through.
Our real home is out of this world.
So what does this all mean?
Your heart is hungry for the fire to return – your heart to beat with His heart; to live this one time on the planet with integrity.
- The heart of God sees where you are. His love is calling you home.
- Tell God right out loud, “I’m coming back to You God!” Then take a tiny step of faith by telling your spouse, a friend — heck, email or call me!
- Follow this up by getting your Bible out and slowly reading Matthew 5-7 for the next few weeks.
- Get yourself and your family back to going to church regularly.
You are not alone.
Jesus personally carried the load of our sins in His own body when He died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and have a good life from now on. For His wounds have healed ours! Like sheep, you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls who keeps you safe from all attacks. 1 Peter 2:24-25 paraphrase
Pray
God, sometimes I feel like You’ve forgotten me. Or when I act out it’s as though I’ve forgotten You. I don’t feel “set aside” as one of Your chosen. So, going forward, help me build my life, my relationships, dreams and goals on the truth of Jesus’ way of love.
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