Tuesday, August 16, 2016

As you read 1st Peter chapter 2 you find that once we understand what we are as believers in Jesus Christ we are called upon to nurture our new life with the word of God. As we grow in our understanding and faith we’ll discover that we are a holy and royal priesthood. As such we are to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1st Peter 2:5). These spiritual sacrifices express our sense that we belong to God. We are the people of God who have received mercy from Him. In contrast, we are aliens and strangers in the world, and often are opposed or even persecuted by the world. Everything we do is to be done for the Lord’s sake since we are servants of God. We are instructed in verse 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.” Finally, in verse 20, “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” Taken together, the spiritual sacrifices we bring to the altar of God include full surrender of ourselves to Him as an act of worship, thus declaring we belong to God. When we do this, welling up within us will be praise to Him for calling us out of darkness into his wonderful light. When we then go out into the world, our good behavior will answer any false accusations, and cause our accusers to “glorify God.” Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).