“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. He was chosen before
the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your
sake.”
1 Peter 1:18-20
Peter,
never one to mix words, refers to a believer’s previous life as empty.
I would venture to say that nonbelievers never thought of their lives as
empty, but from a spiritual perspective they are void of any meaning. The blood of Christ, foreseen and
pre-ordained from the beginning of time, was designed to completely wash away
any sin incurred by man. It was a debt
we could never pay on our own. Payment was required by virtue of the blood of a
blemish-free sacrifice. We are far from
perfect, so that left us incapable of paying for it on our own.
You’ve probably heard many times that this world is not a
Christian’s home. I can recall the words
of an old spiritual tune that goes something like this: “This world is not my home, I’m just apassin’ thru. My treasures all laid up somewhere beyond the
blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s
open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” The true believer doesn’t belong here, but
must stay here until the Lord calls him home.
Once we commit our lives to Christ we don’t feel comfortable here
anymore, or at least we shouldn’t. I
submit to you that the more comfortable we become in this world the further
away we are becoming from the Lord. The
word of God shows us how to live in a world filled with darkness, but if
scripture reading becomes secondary to other earthly pleasures then we will
stagnate like a lifeless pool of water.
Only when a new source of fresh water pours into the pool does it regain
life. It is no different with a believer
in Christ. It should come as no surprise
that a follower of Christ is described as a tree that stretches its roots into
the cool water. (Psalm 1:2-3*)
Peter rightly points out that Christ was chosen for our sake. He received no benefit from coming to earth
to live among ungrateful, unregenerate souls who would kill Him in the end;
however, Christ did it because He knew it was part of the Father’s plan to redeem
His creation. It is for your sake
that Christ came. It is for your sake that He died. What
does that mean to you? Until next
time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
* “But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly
planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf
does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
