Living Good Lives – Part 3
This newest series of messages on Internet Pastor is called “Living Good Lives”.
We are looking at 1 Peter and talking about living good lives. Lives that are not only better for us, but actually impact the world around us. As we move into chapter 2 of 1 Peter we find out some things about the way the God sees us that if we will allow these ideas to settle deep into our hearts, it will have a significant impact on the way that we live life.
Many of us have a very damaged self perception. This perception causes us to live life based on old and false data that crept in from various sources. People who were in a position to encourage us and build us up, often did just the opposite. Many people walk through life feeling like victims, like losers, like they have nothing to offer because of things that were said to them when they were young. You are stupid, you will never amount to anything, you don’t have any talent, etc.
If you buy into these lies, you will tend to allow them to govern your life. However, if you can change your perception to take in some new data, and some truths from God, it can impact your life in a very positive way.
So, what does God say about you? How does God see you?
He mentions five titles, characteristics, analogies of what you are if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ.
“You are a chosen people…” (acceptable)
“You are a royal priesthood…” (capable)
“You are a holy nation…” (lovable)
“You are a people belonging to God…” (valuable)
“Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (forgivable)
We have talked about these ideas in other messages, but it is so important that it needs to be done again and again and again.
As One of God’s Own People You Are:
1. Acceptable (a chosen people)
You are acceptable. We spend so much energy trying to feel accepted. To belong to this group or that group. This desire to be accepted will impact the way you dress, what you drive, how you act. It will cause you to compromise what you believe in and to do things that you would otherwise not do. With kids we call it peer pressure, but most people are influenced by this same pressure throughout their lives.
Romans 15:7 (NIV)
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Christ has accepted you. You are acceptable. You belong.
2. Capable (a royal priesthood)
It doesn’t matter if other people say, “You’ll never amount to anything,” the Bible says with Christ I am capable. And that’s the truth!
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
3. Valuable (a people belonging to God)
You have tremendous value. How do we determine the value of something? Who owns it is one factor. Another factor that determines value is what someone is willing to pay. Check out these verses:
1 John 4:4 (TLB)
4 Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world.
1 Corinthians 7:23 (TLB)
23 You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him–be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.
4. Lovable (a holy nation)
There are times in life when we have been rejected or hurt where maybe it feels like no one loves us or really cares about us. God does!
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
5. Forgivable (a people who have received mercy)
This is good to know because I make a lot of mistakes. And yet God forgives me.
Isaiah 43:25 (TEV)
25 And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.
Ephesians 1:4 (TEV)
4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.
My prayer, for each one of us today, is that we will allow these truths to impact the way that we see ourselves, so that we can live good lives that please God and impact the world.
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