Marsha's Musings: What I Have Gleaned from a Study in 1 Peter 1

Here are my take home lessons from my study in 1 Peter 1.

1. Prepare your mind for action v. 13

2.) Keep sober minded v. 13

3.) Fix your hope completely on the grace of God v. 13

4.) Do not be conformed to your former lusts v. 14

5.) Be holy in all your behavoir v. 15

6.) Conduct yourself in the fear of God v. 17

7.) Purify your soul in obedience to the truth v. 22

8.) Fervently love one another from the heart v. 22

The first seven commands have to do with my own personal preparation and spiritual hygiene. The last command has to do with my interaction with other believers.

The first seven commands are all inter-related.  If I do not prepare my mind for action by digging into the Word of God, then I will not be sober minded spiritually, I will not have my hope fixed completely on the grace of God, I will tend to fall back into former sins and  my life will not be characterized with holy behavoir because I will not be conducting myself in the fear of God or purifying my soul in obedience to the truth.  

The end result of a failure to obey the first seven commands is that I will not love other Christians as I ought.  In fact I might feel like they are too spiritual for me to hang around with and feel uncomfortable being around them so that I do not make church attendance a priority in my life.  It can have devastating results in one's life as he/she pulls back and becomes more and more self absorbed. It can result in depression, and irritability toward loved ones and an attitude of apathy toward life in general. 

God help me to be diligent in these things!