The Wherefores

In today’s society, we as Christians may feel like strangers because what we know in our hearts to be true according to God’s Word, and what we see surrounding us are in stark contrast to each other. One of my favorite books of the Bible is I Peter. It is addressed to Christians that are strangers in this world. In I Peter 1: 1 – 7 Peter describes all that we possess as a result of our salvation: Grace, peace, mercy, hope, an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance in heaven kept by the Father, and great rejoicing; all in spite of the difficulties we face here and now. After Peter reminds of what we possess he continues to instruct us in what I call the “wherefores.”

The Wherefores
(I Peter 1:13 – 3:17)

1. Think about your salvation. (gird up the loins of your mind)
2. Be serious about your salvation (be sober)
3. Remember that because of your salvation you are God’s child—be an obedient child!
4. Be holy! Allow your salvation to separate you from this world to God!
5. Respect your salvation—don’t live flippantly—you should be living for God!
6. Remember that your salvation was purchased with the precious Blood of Christ!
7. Because you are saved—love your brothers (and sisters) in Christ purely
8. Because you love your brothers and sisters in Christ lay aside malice, guile, hypocrisies, envying, and evil speaking
9. Desire instead to grow by the Word of God
10. Remember that God wants you to understand His will and His Word; He will not leave you confounded. If you don’t understand something—it just may be that you are not ready to understand it yet, or you just don’t need to know yet. Remember we are God's children; He knows when we are ready to learn something or not. Sometimes (for those of you that are mothers, or have ever worked with children know this) kids want to know things that we as adults know they are not yet ready to learn.
11. Remember that you are royalty (a royal priesthood, a child of the King) and that you should be living to bring Glory to God!
12. Abstain from fleshly lusts
13. Be a good citizen (obey the law!)
14. Respect every human being
15. Love your brothers and sisters in Christ (this must be harder than we think—it is repeated twice!)
16. Fear God
17. Honour the King (our civil leaders, government)

We, all of us can apply these “wherefores" to our lives and experience fulfillment in Christ...wherefore have a wonderful day!

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