“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16
“Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Ever since I can remember I have been told that Jesus was sent to die for my sins, and was crucified on the cross so that I may be forgiven. I listened, I thought I understood but yet I still thought I needed to perform. I had come to the conclusion that even though he came to forgive it once and for all that it was still somehow determined on my actions or lack of actions. Thoughts were always focused on how I could make myself better. I spent so much time focused on my past, present, and even future sins that I didn’t focused on that Jesus came to die for those, he came so that I could be made new in him. Given a new mind, heart, and soul in him if I only let that be my focus. This world is self-performance based, you get where you are going on your own and that is success. We so often take the worlds view on for our salvation, but our salvation has already been earned for us.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
We have been saved not by our works, not by ourselves but through Christ who died for our sins once and for all. We have been saved by receiving the gift of grace God gave us, and having faith.
Since we now has received this grace now we put our hope in God. In Matthew 14:22-33 It is the story of Peter and Jesus walking on water. Peter choose to put his hope in Jesus and trusted as he stepped out on the water walking towards Jesus. For one second he started to take his hope and confidence off of Jesus and began to sink. He cried out and Jesus caught him and said “ You of little faith, why did you doubt?.” This is a great example of so many Christians today, we began to have hope and confidence in Christ, but then lose sight of him and sink. We start to trust humans, possessions, our own selves but in Psalms it says
“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” Psalm 146:3-5
Our hope and help does not come from us, it does not come from the world, it does not come from the possessions we own. Our hope is in the Lord our God. The one how knows everything about you, who hears every cry, knows every fear, sees every victory, and loves you with the greatest love. Our hope is found in the one who will never fail, never give up on us. May you be strengthened in this hope we can find in him.
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-19
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