SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: GROWING UP INTO SALVATION...

Worldly, and wrong-minded thoughts, words, actions, and reactions, can hinder us from benefiting, or prospering from THE WORD OF *GOD*! When we do not exist according to HIS WILL, or to our 'newness' IN HIM, we have interfered, or impeded the flow of THE HOLY SPIRIT---

It IS within our role AS HIS people, TO rid ourselves of those behaviours which deny HIM IN us! When we yet exist in worldly ways, we are NOT REFLECTING HIM, NOR are we existing according TO HIS WILL, WAYS, or WORD! Once again, FAITH opens up to FAITHFULNESS, and ACCEPTING CHRIST JESUS as our LORD *GOD*, and SAVIOUR MEANS we are NOW, a NEW CREATION; a NEW being, a NEW vessel, a NEW temple FOR HIS LOFTY use!!!

A volatile world HAS it's effects, for sure, and add to that our faulty rearing, with incomplete knowledge, and what do we see?, MANY Christians hindering the PROCESS of their TRANSFORMATION; hence, KNOWLEDGE IS KEY, and this for the rest of our time on this Earth!!!

NO ONE is ever going to be perfect in this realm, and NO amount of knowledge will ever be enough; for we are BARELY able to perceive THE LORD *GOD*, HIS WILL, and HIS PLAN, THEREFORE, TOTAL reliance OF HIM, and DILIGENT adherence TO HIS WILL, shall be one with our every day in this valley...

We are a CHOSEN people, thus we ARE expected to exist in *GODLY* ways! IF we are NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, we HAVE taken off the old self, and put on the new! We are NO longer of the flesh, INSTEAD we are of SPIRIT, at the very least TO the point of HIS freedom TO work in us, HIS WILL! But when we continue in the flesh, we are INTERRUPTING THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

Ah, we want, and take what THE LORD offers, but we have great difficulty in GIVING HIM HIS GLORY, as we still fail to understand HOW HIS GLORY SHINES through our FAITHFUL, and continuing allegiance, and our growing INTO the likeness of CHRIST JESUS, which IS THE most imperative matter of our time...

1 PETER 2...
1+++Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
2+++Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3+++now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4+++As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5+++you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6+++For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7+++Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8+++and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9+++But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
10+++Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11+++Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
12+++Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13+++Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14+++or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15+++For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
16+++Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
17+++Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
18+++Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19+++For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
20+++But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21+++To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22+++“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23+++When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24+++“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
25+++For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Evil-speaking is a sign of malice and guile in the heart; and hinders our profiting by the word of God. A new life needs suitable food. Infants desire milk, and make the best endeavours for it which they are able to do; such must be a Christian's desires after the word of God. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is very merciful to us miserable sinners; and he has a fullness of grace. But even the best of God's servants, in this life, have only a taste of the consolations of God. 

Christ is called a Stone, to teach his servants that he is their protection and security, the foundation on which they are built. He is precious in the excellence of his nature, the dignity of his office, and the glory of his services. 

All true believers are a holy priesthood; sacred to God, serviceable to others, endowed with heavenly gifts and graces. But the most spiritual sacrifices of the best in prayer and praise are not acceptable, except through Jesus Christ. 

Christ is the chief Corner-stone, that unites the whole number of believers into one everlasting temple, and bears the weight of the whole fabric. Elected, or chosen, for a foundation that is everlasting. Precious beyond compare, by all that can give worth. To be built on Christ means, to believe in him; but in this many deceive themselves, they consider not what it is, nor the necessity of it, to partake of the salvation he has wrought. 

Though the frame of the world were falling to pieces, that man who is built on this foundation may hear it without fear. He shall not be confounded. The believing soul makes haste to Christ, but it never finds cause to hasten from him. All true Christians are a chosen generation; they make one family, a people distinct from the world: of another spirit, principle, and practice; which they could never be, if they were not chosen in Christ to be such, and sanctified by his Spirit. Their first state is a state of gross darkness, but they are called out of darkness into a state of joy, pleasure, and prosperity; that they should show forth the praises of the Lord by their profession of his truth, and their good conduct. How vast their obligations to Him who has made them his people, and has shown mercy to them! To be without this mercy is a woeful state, though a man have all worldly enjoyments. And there is nothing that so kindly works repentance, as right thoughts of the mercy and love of God. Let us not dare to abuse and affront the free grace of God, if we mean to be saved by it; but let all who would be found among those who obtain mercy, walk as his people.

Even the best of men, the chosen generation, the people of God, need to be exhorted to keep from the worst sins. And fleshly lusts are most destructive to man's soul. It is a sore judgment to be given up to them. There is a day of visitation coming, wherein God may call to repentance by his word and his grace; then many will glorify God, and the holy lives of his people will have promoted the happy change.

A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but they must remember that they are servants of God.

Servants in those days generally were slaves, and had heathen masters, who often used them cruelly; yet the apostle directs them to be subject to the masters placed over them by Providence, with a fear to dishonour or offend God. And not only to those pleased with reasonable service, but to the severe, and those angry without cause. 

The sinful misconduct of one relation, does not justify sinful behaviour in the other; the servant is bound to do his duty, though the master may be sinfully froward and perverse. But masters should be meek and gentle to their servants and inferiors. What glory or distinction could it be, for professed Christians to be patient when corrected for their faults? But if when they behaved well they were ill treated by proud and passionate heathen masters, yet bore it without peevish complaints, or purposes of revenge, and persevered in their duty, this would be acceptable to God as a distinguishing effect of his grace, and would be rewarded by him. 

Christ's death was designed not only for an example of patience under sufferings, but he bore our sins; he bore the punishment of them, and thereby satisfied Divine justice. Hereby he takes them away from us. The fruits of Christ's sufferings are the death of sin, and a new holy life of righteousness; for both which we have an example, and powerful motives, and ability to perform also, from the death and resurrection of Christ. And our justification; Christ was bruised and crucified as a sacrifice for our sins, and by his stripes the diseases of our souls are cured. 

Here is man's sin; he goes astray; it is his own act. His misery; he goes astray from the pasture, from the Shepherd, and from the flock, and so exposes himself to dangers without number. Here is the recovery by conversion; they are now returned as the effect of Divine grace. This return is, from all their errors and wanderings, to Christ. Sinners, before their conversion, are always going astray; their life is a continued error.

Let us EVER awaken TO THE PRIVILEGE of BEING CALLED, and let us EVER learn; let us EVER HONOUR THE LORD, for HIS GIFT OF LIFE IS MORE than worthy of our full attention, and attachment, fidelity, loyalty, and obedience! HE did NOT HAVE to offer us LIFE, yet HIS LOVE IS THAT GREAT, which we SHOULD take to heart, and ALLOW TO LEAD us! PRAISE THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS! REJOICE IN HIS LOVING CARE FOR us! HONOUR HIM in every way, every day! PRAY FOR the knowledge which grants understanding enough TO fulfill HIS WILL, and thereby SHINES OF HIS GLORY, for ALL to see, and FOREVERMORE!!!

LWINSOR © 2018
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS