Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
http://sothrichfield.podbean.com
1 Peter 1:13-21
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
We know that we cannot earn God’s love. We are faced with the fact that we are heirs, children of God. Now, as such, we are called to live accordingly. It’s the tricky part of our faith: we do not do things to impress God, yet our actions are influenced by what God has done for us. How does the reality that we are children of God impact how we act and how we treat others? As you walk through your weekend, consider your actions. How do we love God with our lives? How do we love others as Christ has loved us?