Today’s Food for the Soul: 1 Peter Chapters 1-5
Live Your Life for God
“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” (1 Peter 4:1-3, NKJV)
God gave each one of us one life and many opportunities to do the best out of it. But we must admit that apart from our Creator, we are lost and without hope.
Man has gone astray and followed his ways instead of God’s ways, which only led him to disaster and failure. He ventured to the world’s system and deeply dived in and gave all to find his purpose and happiness, only to find himself worth nothing, and still felt empty and void.
Then Jesus Christ came and traded His life for us. He got crucified for our sins and shed His blood for our redemption. He died that we may live.
With all the sacrificial offering Christ did for us, which part is not clear and hard to understand? He did it all to take away the sin that separates us from God. He did it so that we may be forgiven, be restored, and reconciled to our God.
When we accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and Lord, we are not only given the assurance of salvation, but most importantly, God adopted us to His family. We now carry a new identity. We are no longer under the rule of the devil, but heirs to the King, children of the God of heaven and earth! Therefore, we must learn to live according to the new status God has given us. Shed off all the sinful ways and abandon the lust, which causes us to stumble and fall. With the help of the Holy Spirit, let us strive for holiness – one day at a time. We may not be sinless, but let’s strive to sin less and less for the glory of our God!
– Contributed by Ptr Neil Marlon Crisostomo