Devotionals for June 1, 2023
We're getting ready for another round of Starting Point! Class will begin on July 9th at 12:30pm. CLICK HERE for more info.
READ
1 Peter 2:9-12
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
REFLECT
When we abstain from sin, we do not merely improve ourselves morally. We are not told to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” because it is a nice thing to do which leads to serenity and inner peace. The reason we are to abstain from the sinful culture of this world is because we belong to a different one. We are the “chosen race” and “holy nation” of God, and the culture of this kingdom is going to be different than that of the earthly kingdoms. When you abstain, say, from hatred, it is your way of acting as a citizen of the coming kingdom before it is established.
This is why we are described as “sojourners and exiles.” There is a way in which we are to keep the culture of the kingdom alive in a foreign land like immigrants do when they bring their cultural norms with them to a new country. In Miami, there are places where signage is written in Spanish first, due to the large amount of Cubans and Hispanics that live there. The church should invade the world in this way, establishing the kingdom culture of loving others and doing God's will in such a way that disrupts the culture and country we are sojourning in.
APPLY
Q: What point is Peter making about the Gentiles in this passage?
Q: Where are the places you can be a kingdom representative right now?
Q: How does this impact how you relate to your family specifically?
SING
“Fear is Not My Future” by Maverick City Music (feat Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore)
PRAY
"Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."
Lord, forgive us for adopting the culture of the sinful world. Help us to live as kingdom people in our world, giving testimony to your return. Amen.
READ
1 Peter 2:9-12
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
REFLECT
When we abstain from sin, we do not merely improve ourselves morally. We are not told to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” because it is a nice thing to do which leads to serenity and inner peace. The reason we are to abstain from the sinful culture of this world is because we belong to a different one. We are the “chosen race” and “holy nation” of God, and the culture of this kingdom is going to be different than that of the earthly kingdoms. When you abstain, say, from hatred, it is your way of acting as a citizen of the coming kingdom before it is established.
This is why we are described as “sojourners and exiles.” There is a way in which we are to keep the culture of the kingdom alive in a foreign land like immigrants do when they bring their cultural norms with them to a new country. In Miami, there are places where signage is written in Spanish first, due to the large amount of Cubans and Hispanics that live there. The church should invade the world in this way, establishing the kingdom culture of loving others and doing God's will in such a way that disrupts the culture and country we are sojourning in.
APPLY
Q: What point is Peter making about the Gentiles in this passage?
Q: Where are the places you can be a kingdom representative right now?
Q: How does this impact how you relate to your family specifically?
SING
“Fear is Not My Future” by Maverick City Music (feat Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore)
PRAY
"Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."
Lord, forgive us for adopting the culture of the sinful world. Help us to live as kingdom people in our world, giving testimony to your return. Amen.