Ransomed By The Blood Series

Ransomed by the Blood

Father’s Day 2023

A study through Peter June 18th 2023

It’s Father’s Day. For many, it’s a day to celebrate Dad. Whether it’s young kids making him breakfast, or older children taking him out for lunch, dinner, dessert, barbecue, burger-joint, or wherever he may choose, food is often a part of Father’s Day. There may be gifts, such as socks or ties or shirts or hats (I love hats!), a new wallet (with which to dole out cash to the kids one day…), a day to go on an adventure, go bowling, axe throwing, a sporting event or whatever dad (or the kids) like to do. It’s all about thanking him for being ‘DAD’

My father is no longer here, but he’s ‘HERE’ in so many memories of a dad that was faithful to the Lord, faithful to his wife, to us as a family, to his church, to his friends and community. And I thank God so much for the dad I had.

For many people it’s not a day to celebrate, because perhaps their father was not the kind of man that was…kind. Memories of dad can be harsh or even hurtful or triggering. I understand. My prayer is that when anyone has painful thoughts when it comes to how they were treated by their father, that they would endeavour in their life to do two things: forgive the man who hurt them, and live their own life in contrast to what was demonstrated to them by their earthly father, and know that they are loved by their Heavenly Father and choose to love others the same way we are loved by God.

With that in mind, we are going to carry on in the 2nd part of our journey through the writings of a man named Peter and see what it means to live as a follower of Jesus, the Son of the Living God, our Father – the One Who loves us so much we could never thank Him enough.

Turn to 1 Peter in your bible with me, chapter 1 and verse 13. We’re going to read the passage and then I’d like to make just a few observations from what we hear from God’s Word.

1 PETER 1:13-25

Called to Be Holy

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding 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,

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

• Whenever a passage begins with therefore, we have to ask ourselves what the therefore is THERE for… Heard that reference from Bernard Mukwavi just yesterday at the BCBC annual celebration.

• It’s there because of our salvation, it’s there because of what Jesus did in bringing us Good News. It’s there because we have this living hope in Christ… Therefore…

• Get ready for something to happen – prepare your minds – start thinking about what we need to be thinking about – about DOING SOMETHING with what we’ve been given.

• We aren’t saved to sit on our keester and simply wait for Jesus’ 2nd coming. We aren’t to sit back and watch as the world goes to hell in a handbasket.

• No, we are saved to serve. We have a purpose. We cannot and definitely should not remain the same as we were before we came to understand the gospel and have Jesus as Lord of our lives.