July 1
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1 PETER 1
17 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, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 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.
– 1 Peter 1:17-21
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1 PETER 1 MOTIVATION TO LIVE HOLY LIVES
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The Lord God gave us his only begotten Son that we might be saved
How precious is it that the Lord manifested his love through Christ
He ransomed us sinners not with material wealth or things that perish
But he offered his most precious Son so we can be freed from sin.
It is the most valuable ransom anyone could ever pay
Only the blood of Jesus appeased God’s wrath on us
It is more costly than all the gold and silver in the world
He sacrificed his life so that we can live by his truth and word.
Though he was God, Jesus chose to live a humble life
This is the reason why we need to live pure and faithful lives
Because he loved us first, a God who is holy and pure
Let us therefore allow his Spirit to cleanse us so we can defeat our foes.
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REFLECTION
• According to these verses, why do we need to live holy lives?
• Can humans ever be pure or unblemished? Why or why not?
• What is the most important reason you can think of that will motivate us to follow Jesus Christ’s humble and obedient life?
• Why is it easy to lose sight of the importance of living for the Lord even though we think we have committed our lives to him?