1 Peter 2:11-12 New International Version (NIV)
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and
exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your
soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they
accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on
the day he visits us.
The passage in I Peter 2:11 urges readers to live as aliens
and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against
your soul. We also must live in submission to the Holy Spirit, seeking to live
in such a way that those who do not believe in Christ will see our good deeds
and glorify God. (v.12) In order to live as strangers in the world, we must be
familiar with God’s ways, and our standard must be God’s Word. Last summer I
kayaked in a river off the ocean. When I got to a certain place in the river,
the tide of the ocean began to pull me and I had to use all of my strength to
steer the kayak back into calm waters. Eventually, I pulled over to the shore
because I was too tired to fight it any longer. The tide pulling me to danger
is like the world trying to lure us into being disobedient to God’s Word. God’s
Word is like the river, gently leading us, teaching us God’s ways and keeping
us out of harm’s way. We may fight the tide, but sometimes the tide pulls at us
so hard we are forced to go to shore and leave the peace of the river. Jesus
told the woman at the well that He was living water. He is still living water
today that gives us peace in the tides of the world in which we live.
Do you have a sin that is pulling you further and further
away from the security of God’s loving river? I Peter 2 challenges us to live
as strangers in this world, conforming to God’s ways and His will. It is not
always easy to go against the tide, but the benefits far outweigh the struggle.
Thought for Today:
Do I negotiate with sin?
No comments:
Post a Comment