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Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 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, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Imagine someone is paying off a small debt by handing over a fortune. That’s the picture the sixteenth-century reformer, Martin Luther, once painted when reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice. He wrote, “Just one drop of this innocent blood would have been more than enough for the sin of the whole world.”

Just one drop. Jesus’ blood is infinitely valuable because he is the sinless Son of God. His sacrifice was more than sufficient to pay for every sin: yours, mine, and the world’s.

Peter reminds us that we were not redeemed with silver or gold. Those things eventually fade and lose value. We were redeemed with something far more precious: the blood of Christ.

That truth changes how we see our lives. Our forgiveness was not cheap. Our rescue was not discounted. God loved us enough to give what was the most precious to him, his own Son.

And yet this costly redemption is also our deepest comfort. Because Jesus paid the full price, there is nothing left for you to earn, and nothing left unpaid. Your sins are forgiven. You belong to God.

So, we live in what Peter calls “reverent fear,” a fear that is not terror, but a deep respect and gratitude for the grace we’ve received. We treasure the salvation Christ won for us.

After all, when you realize what it cost Jesus to redeem you, you begin to see how precious you truly are to God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for redeeming me with your precious blood. Help me treasure your grace and live each day in gratitude for the salvation you won for me. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.