Weekly Devotional 8-8-16 The Person We Should Be
In last week’s devotional we considered God’s longsuffering toward those who are to be redeemed, and that He is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance (see 2nd Peter 3:9 NKJV). Peter had written this letter to encourage Christians who, because of persecutions, had been scattered to many different areas. He wrote of the sure return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that even though there were many who mocked such belief they were to remain faithful. He led their thinking about this by further affirming in verses ten, eleven and fourteen; “10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up”. And he then asked this question “11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” Peter went on and answered this question thusly: “14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”
Peter’s letters of course were intended by God to be read by many persons other than those addressed. This includes you and me. Therefore, we must take careful note of his Holy Spirit inspired words (see 2nd Timothy 3:16). We are to be diligent in our walk. When He returns, which He surely will, we are to be found by Him living in peace without spot and blameless. You and I as Christians are to make every effort to be morally clean (cf. 1:4). This takes conscious effort. We do not live abstractly, disassociated with who we are as children of God. Peter wrote that Paul had also written about these same things in all of his letters. Turning to one of these, his letter to the Ephesians, we read;
“17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:17-32 NKJV).
Jesus Christ is due to return, perhaps soon. The question that each of us should ask ourselves is, to which of the persons described by Paul will Christ identify me with when He returns?
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man