May 24
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THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these 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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In this letter, Peter tackles the issue of fearing the Lord while you are here on earth. He challenges the believers that because you call the heavenly Father as the One who judges fairly according to one’s work, you as believers need to exercise caution in living your life. It needs to be lived as a tribute and honor to God, that we need to live in fear and trembling of God. What this looks like is that we need to revere, honor and praise the Lord in all that we do and all that we are. That we need to avoid all forms of unrighteousness and never be mindless about our intentions and motives, making sure that we will never displease the Lord Almighty. In other words, to live a life of honesty and integrity.
Peter explains the reason in verses 18- 19 why we need to live in fear of the Lord. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has produced the precious blood that is spotless and blameless. The sinfulness and futility of our lives which we inherited from our forefathers were bought not with things that are perishable but with the valuable blood of Jesus. It is the only thing that is worthy enough to appease the wrath of God. The Lord himself supplied humans with the solution to man’s sinfulness. He knew that they can never help themselves, so he supplied his own Son to save the sins that resulted from our first parents’ disobedience.
In the ensuing verses, Peter further explains that God had a plan even at the beginning of creation. He knew beforehand who would be his people and that to those who will believe in his plan and solution for sins through Jesus, he will grant a life everlasting. So Peter encourages all believers to keep their hopes up and grow their faith in the only path that leads to salvation: Jesus Christ.
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REFLECTION
• How is the reminder of the precious blood of Christ essential in a believer’s life?