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November 10, Sunday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Be Holy! — Peter gives us three ways to prepare for the end times, when Jesus returns. The first is to “set your hope fully on the grace” that will be realized at His coming (v. 13). Think about the future! Prepare for heaven! All the wonderful things we now experience because of our relationship with Christ are only a taste of what He has in store for us. We need to set our hope fully on that. The second way we are to prepare for our heavenly life is to live holy lives now (“…you shall be holy in all your conduct”—v. 15). Being holy includes both setting ourselves apart from sinful practices and dedicating ourselves to God. It is like the 180-degree turn in repentance at conversion, except that it should continue daily as we recognize sinful thoughts, attitudes, or actions that should be forsaken and replaced by attention toward God. The third way we prepare for Jesus’ return is through godly fear. To “conduct yourselves with fear” (v. 17a) is to recognize God as both Father and judge. As Father, He lovingly, but firmly, corrects us when we stray. As judge, He will somehow grade us at the end “according to each one’s deeds” (v. 17). This is not to determine whether we are qualified to enter heaven, because Jesus’ righteousness qualified us for that. Perhaps it is to determine the kinds or amounts of blessings or rewards we will be able to enjoy in heaven. That is something worth working for. We prepare for heaven in hope, holiness, and fear.
When We All Get to Heaven – YouTube
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November 11, Monday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Sanctification of the Spirit — Peter began his letter to the scattered Church with a significant theological statement about salvation that involves all three Persons of the Trinity. First, is the choice made by God the Father, which emphasizes both His sovereignty in His choice and His foreknowledge of who will be His people. Second, is the work of the Holy Spirit in the process of salvation, His “sanctification,” which uses a Greek word closely related to the word for “holiness” (being set apart for God). The giant step of this work came at our conversion, but it continues in our gradual steps toward becoming more like Jesus. Third, is the purpose of salvation — “obedience to Jesus Christ.” We were saved to obey, which also contributes to our growth in sanctification. The whole Godhead, Yahweh, is involved in our salvation for our good and for His glory.
I couldn’t find a good video for this appropriate song.
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November 12, Tuesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Predicting and Preaching Spirit — The expression, “the Spirit of Christ,” also used in Romans 8:9, is speaking of the Holy Spirit that was sent by Christ, which is made clear by the separation of the two Persons in verse 11 of today’s reading: “he [the Spirit] predicted the sufferings of Christ.” There are two ministries of the Holy Spirit mentioned in this passage, the first being His work in providing future predictions to the OT prophets about Christ. It is almost comical that these prophets “searched and inquired carefully” about the meaning of what they had prophesied, which emphasizes that the information they shared was not from them, but from God. The second ministry of the Holy Spirit was informing and empowering the NT proclaimers, “those who preached the good news … by the Holy Spirit” (v. 12). The prophets were puzzled, but the preachers were empowered. That sharing ministry continues today, not only through vocational preachers, but also through you and me as we share with friends and others about the purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Go, Preach My Gospel – YouTube
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November 13, Wednesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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The Spirit of Glory — The word “glory” or “glorify” is used three times in this passage, and each time it refers to a different Person of the Trinity. The word “glory” means “a most exalted state,” and it is used here first in reference to the Second Coming of Christ: “…when his glory is revealed” (v. 13). That will be more spectacular than anything we have ever seen. There will be no doubt that it is Jesus. The second time, “glory” is used about our being “blessed, because the Spirit of glory … rests upon you” (v. 14). In this verse, the Holy Spirit’s glory rests upon us as a blessing when we suffer for the name of Christ. It is more subtle than the glory of Christ’s return, but it is also spectacular because it is divine. We have peace during our storms. The third “glory” relates to the Father: “…let him glorify God” (v. 16). Here, we “glorify” God in reply, acknowledging His glory and responding to Him in praise. Yahweh is highly exalted in who He is, and we exalt Him in worship. Take a minute to do that right now!
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November 14, Thursday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Washed and Renewed — It is interesting in this passage that sandwiched between “God our Savior” (v. 4) and “Jesus Christ our Savior” (v. 6), is this statement about the Holy Spirit’s involvement in our salvation: “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (v. 5). At our conversion, we were “washed” (or cleansed) by the Spirit. The stains of our past sinful life were removed, which is also the work of a Savior. Those sins are the kinds of things Paul listed after saying, “we ourselves were once…” like that (v. 3). Thank God, our sins are gone! We were washed, not only by the blood of Jesus, but also by the cleansing of the Spirit. The last part of verse 5 says that God saved us also by the “renewal of the Holy Spirit.” This represents the new life into which we stepped at our conversion when we became “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). We entered the realm of eternal life.
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November 15, Friday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Guarding Our Deposit — As we read yesterday that both God and Jesus were called “Savior,” so today we read about “God, who saved us” (vv. 8-9) and “our Savior Christ Jesus” (v. 10). The Spirit is also included in today’s passage as “the Holy Spirit who dwells within us” (v. 14). This is where we come in because it is “by” that Spirit we are to “guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (v. 14b). It is our responsibility, but we cannot do it on our own, so we must draw upon the Holy Spirit’s power. It is interesting that earlier, Paul said that Jesus is also able to do the guarding (v. 12), which gives us double divine protection. What is it that Jesus and we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, are to guard? In both places where this guarding is mentioned, the object being guarded is the same: a “deposit,” which uses the same word in Greek. In verse 12, it is translated with the whole phrase, “what has been entrusted to me.” This “deposit” seems to refer to “the gospel,” mentioned twice earlier in verses 8 and 10. This is not just the message of redemption, but it is also the effects of it in the change it has made in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit — salvation itself.
I Know Whom I Have Believed – YouTube
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November 16, Saturday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Holy Priests in a Holy Nation — There is a significant picture of growth in the early verses of this chapter. It begins with Christians as “newborn infants” (v. 2) and ends seeing the same believers as a “holy priesthood” (v. 5). We are “holy” because we are set apart by God for His purposes, and we are a “priesthood” because we offer “spiritual sacrifices.” We have grown from receiving “spiritual milk” to offering “spiritual sacrifices.” We are also “living stones” in a “spiritual house” (v. 5), which has grown into “a holy nation” (v. 9), i.e., the gathered Church. Our longing for the “spiritual milk” that begins at our conversion continues throughout our lives as we draw from the inexhaustible nourishment of the Word of God. The praise ministry of our “holy priesthood” is also a lifelong commitment.
We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise – YouTube
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