Crosses a gift from Rev. Ryan Barnett, photo by Eradio Valverde
The Gift of Easter is New Life for Us!
From 1 Peter 1 (17-23): If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
If we are Christians, what in our life distinguishes us from those who are not? Do we act different or the same? Is there anything holy about our life, or are we just like everyone else? God called Israel to be priests to all nations, who among us are priests in any sense of that word? The call was for a holy people to live among those not yet holy. The word priest really means to be a "bridge", in this case a bridge between humanity and God. Are we bridge builders? When we speak of holiness do we run from the word instead of to it?
This passage addresses those questions by reminding us of several things: 1) If we call God Father, then we are to remember that He is an impartial judge on all people according to their deeds. 2) We are to question how we are living (What are our deeds?). 3) Our respect towards God should be reverent knowing we are truly exiled from the land which is really ours. We are Heaven people through our relationship with Christ and we live as exiles here in this world. 4) We were bought with a price; Christ paid the price with His blood and made us free. 5) Because of Jesus we have come into a trusting relationship with God. 6) Our faith and our hope are set on God. 7) Our souls have been purified by obedience to God's truth. 8) We must love each other deeply from our hearts. 9) We have been born anew (again) to live this way for all eternity.
That is Good News! God makes us right with Him and we should be right with others. The theme of loving one another with no exceptions from our hearts runs throughout the New Testament, and yet, we find ourselves not loving as we should.
We are not perfect but we're on the road towards it. Through Jesus Christ we are being led there, loving one another and loving this new journey as resurrection people. There are bumps on this road and sometimes we feel like stopping, but we press on towards that to which Christ called us. Indeed, Resurrection Life is a new life, a loving life, and a life that should invite others to imitate.
PRAYER: Awesome God, continue to lead me towards new ways of loving and living as a born again person. This I pray in the Name of He who died for me, Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
