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Peter’s and Paul’s Impassioned Plea … Which BTW Echoes My Own

Twitter has become the bane of my daily existence.

(You’ll discover why as you listen to this PODCAST.)

Peter's and Paul's Impassioned PleaHow I LONG—with every fiber of my being, with every beat of my hyperactive heart—for a kinder, gentler Christianity.

So did Peter.

So did Paul.

Let’s begin by reading 1 Peter 2, verses 1 and 5: 

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech…

… you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

If you’ve ever wondered what your “identity in Christ” really looks like, this is it. This is Peter’s (and Paul’s… and my) heart-felt appeal to all of you. We are holy priests, and are called to live accordingly. And, when Peter wrote the word “priests”, he directly inferred “blessings”, believe it or not. You see, the word “priest” is used some 1,287 times throughout Scripture. Priesthood is not a trivial topic, but actually carries a lot of weight, spanning from Genesis through Revelation.

All this to say, according to the Bible, what does a priest do? Priests bless others. They are a blessing to those around them. It’s that simple – our primary purpose is to confer upon people God’s blessing on their lives, then bless God on behalf of people. It’s all about blessings.

Is that how you live? Have you been a blessing to everyone you encounter (both IRL and on social media)?

Also, in relation to 1 Peter 5, when Peter mentions that we ought to be offering “spiritual sacrifices”, he is not referencing animal sacrifices, as one might think as the words are coming from the Bible. Remember, these words were written after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, so no further sacrifice is called for. Jesus fulfilled them all.

So, what are “spiritual sacrifices that please God”?

According to Jesus, Himself, they are good deeds that sprinkle salt and shine a light to the world. They are actions that make life better for those around us in the world.

Consider Peter’s instructions to us, in full context, according to the Amplified Bible:

So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech; 2 like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], 3 if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.

4 Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God. 5 You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.  (1 Peter 2:1-5)

Peter puts a spotlight on how we behave, how we speak, and how we treat one another. So, be Godly by treating each other goodly.

Practically speaking, here are three ways we can fulfill our role as priests:

    • Speak to and about one another well.
    • Give gifts to people that meet their needs.
    • Pray for God’s blessings on each other’s lives.

Here’s a hint for that final one: If you don’t know exactly how to pray for someone, simply pray like Paul did for his friends in Ephesus:

My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. (Ephesians 1:18-20)

(This podcast is by Dewey Bertolini. discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)