5Mar2014 - The Sanctifying Work of The Spirit

How you doin?  First day back to work went well.  I have a ton of stuff to catch up on.  I got my budget in order yesterday, that's the most important thing.  My foot was really sore by the end of my shift.  I'm sure it's going to take some conditioning.  Flyers game tonight for Stacey and me.  1 Peter 1 today.

So God has offered food today.  This Scripture jump off the page at me.  The Holy Ghost pulled out His tattoo machine on me again.  I will try not to copy every verse in this chapter.  Verses 1-2, "To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ^[a]to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace ^[b]be yours in the fullest measure."  WOW!!!!!!!  Peter's referring to me/us.  I love the language at the end, "may grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure".  This is big for me.  I love being hungry for the "fullest measure".  We are chosen by the foreknowledge of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the sprinkling of His blood.  COME ON!!!!!!!

Verses 13-16, "Therefore, ^[k]prepare your minds for action, ^[l]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace ^[m]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As ^[n]obedient children, do not ^[o]be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^[p]like the Holy One who called you, ^[q]be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”'  I'll confess that I'm playing a trick on you by skipping 5 verses that I wanted to copy into this email.  I did this by copying a verse that begins with "Therefore".  Any time a verse starts with "Therefore" you should be interested in what precedes.  These verses are a good measuring stick for me.  It measures which covenant I'm living under.  If I'm under the new covenant I'm aware of my true identity, righteousness, and holiness that Jesus bought for me with His blood.  Living in accordance with the new covenant, I can see myself as God sees me and created me to be.  If I'm living under the influence of the old covenant, I can't see myself as holy, righteous, or as the son that God created me to be.  The preceding verses makes it easier to understand what Jesus did for me.  I never what to take Jesus off the cross or dishonor what he did for me to believe my true identity.  The truth will set me free.  The new covenant is a better covenant.  I must have revelation of the FULL measure of grace and peace in me.  Revelation of the FULLNESS of Christ in me, the hope of glory.

Verses 22-25, "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a ^[t]sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from ^[u]the heart, ²³ for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For,

“All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
²⁵ But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was ^[v]preached to you."  Another trick, this Scripture starts with "Since".  You should be interested in what precedes.  I love how obedience to the truth purifies my soul.  These verses convict me in a huge way.  I want to be obedient to the Lord's law, which is love Him and love my neighbor.  I can love from my head, but I struggle loving from my heart.  I love God from my heart, but I find myself loving others because I know I have to.  That love is from my head.  I like how it says "obedience to the truth purified your souls".  My spirit is willing, but my flesh (soul) is weak.  I do love the process of God trading out my unbelief for belief in the truth.  AWESOME!!!!!!!  "Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ", today.