40 days with Christ

Day 20 of 20 (1 Peter 5:8-11)

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Today is the final day of our 20 session series on First Peter!!  Up next, our flagship 40 days with Christ series is scheduled to march toward completion of day #40 on Easter Sunday!  I hope you will continue on with us as we begin our 40 day journey toward Easter together!  :-)

But first, let’s get started by reading our final passage from First Peter chapter 5 today.

"Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ -  after you’ve suffered a little while - will Himself restore you and make you strong,  firm and steadfast.  To Him be the power forever and ever!  AMEN!"

Let’s review where we’ve been together shall we?

Over the last 20 days, I hope you’ve been encouraged by these important truths!

  • We’ve been born again into a living hope and an inheritance which can never spoil, perish or fade!
  • We’ve been redeemed from our previous empty way of life.
  • The price of this redemption was not perishable like gold or silver.  It was the eternal precious blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
  • Therefore, we won’t conform to the old desires from our days of ignorance.  Instead, we will seek to be holy as our father in heaven is holy.
  • Along with new life, God has given us a church family and so we have brotherly and sisterly love for one another. But God doesn’t leave us there. He calls us to grow in agape love (the unconditional kind of love - the kind of love God showed to us even while we were still sinners).
  • Whenever things get tough, God wants us to know that our trials are not meaningless and they don’t last forever. As we await Christ’s return by faith, we are shielded by God’s great power!
    • Trials can help prove that our faith is genuine. They can help us focus on eternal things and learn how to depend on God. They can even provide us opportunities to live in a manner that impresses unbelievers.  
    • Unbelievers may see our good Christian lifestyle and ask us the reason for the hope we have within us.  Peter tells us to be prepared to answer with gentleness respect and a clear conscience.
    • God is building a spiritual house! Christ Jesus is the Cornerstone!  The King!  The Head! He’s number one!
    • You and me?  We get the honor of being like small stones built into that same house.
    • God says this house is a spiritual priesthood. How precious are we to God? He calls us a royal priesthood!  A holy nation!  His special possession! 
    • Our purpose in all of this? We are to declare the Praises of God who called us out of Darkness into his wonderful light.  

      • To Him be the power forever and ever!  Let’s pray.

      Dear Father in Heaven - 

      We praise You for You have called us out of darkness and into Your wonderful light. 

      Even while we were still sinners, you reached out to us in love so that we could be set free from bondage to sin and death.

      How great Thou art Lord.  How great… Thou art!

      Thanks for making devotional time a priority in your life. May God encourage you, bless you, keep you strong, firm and steadfast until the day our Lord Jesus returns with a crown of glory for you, an imperishable inheritance, one which never fades -  never spoils…  AMEN!

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      40 days with ChristBy Mark S. Wendt