… who called you to his eternal glory in Christ …
Summary: Peter outlines five callings in his letter. The first four lead to the fifth; sharing God’s eternal glory in Christ.
Peter’s letter is very short by worldly standards, yet as we have seen during our meditations, it is packed with spiritual treasures. In today’s passage, Peter gives us the key to another treasure chest.
The theme of being called by God runs throughout Peter’s letter. It puts me in mind of when I was a child. We lived in a house sandwiched between two wonderful playgrounds. On one side was a large house with a garden that occupied an entire lot. The garden was a maze of gravel pathways under a canopy of beautiful trees. On the other side of our house was a field with a few old gnarled fruit trees in it.
Both places were safe enough that mom would let my brothers and I wander at will. The hours would fly by, and then we would hear mom calling in the distance. She would call us home for dinner or bedtime and then we would know it was time to go home.
In the same sense, Peter points us to the fact that Jesus is calling us home, too. But before we go home, we are called in four very important ways.
1. Called to be holy
The first calling is found in 1 Peter 1:15-16 — “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
If I had gone too far from the house when I was little, I would not be able to hear mom calling me home. In the same way, people who indulge in being unholy find it hard to hear the calling of God. To be holy is to be set apart for God. We need to stay close so we can hear his call.
2. Called into the light
The second calling is again a calling to stay close to God:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
Because we are chosen by God to be his people, we are to live in the light. The darkness represents all the things that God’s Word warns us against. Anything deceptive is done in the dark. In the light, everything is seen, every deed is known.
3. Called to put God before self
Peter calls this suffering, but what he describes is putting God’s will before our own. Jesus summarized the law this way:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22: 37-39)
Peter put it this way:
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
4. Called to bless
Those who are called by God are called to be holy, to walk in the light, to love God above all else, and to bless others, especially those who do evil to you. Peter writes:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)
We are called to bless others for the selfish reason that we, too, want to be blessed. We do not want to hear harsh words and criticism from our Lord. Neither should we shower abuse on those who hate us or do us harm.
Finally, having called us to be holy, to walk in the light, to put God before ourselves, and to bless those who hate us, we are…
5. Called to eternal glory with Christ
The hope and goal of living for Christ is to be with Christ, always. If we answer His call, we must respond in all these areas to the best of our ability. Hopefully, each day brings us closer to fully understanding our calling.
When I was a child, being called was a simple matter of hearing the call and responding. In many ways, I am still a child. I hear God’s call, I pray He helps me respond.
Application: Listen for God’s calling and strive to answer it every day.
Food for Thought: How is God’s grace related to our calling?
If you apply His grace to your calling. Applying Him and His will to your actions. When your called to do something doing it with all your heart all your soul and all your strength because you love Him. Not having doubt of hesitation, just Following your God.
Thanks Tim!
One complements the other. God’s grace makes answering his call possible.
Excellent points Tim. And another great devotion Jeff.
I will only add that is by the grace of God that we receive our calling and by the grace of God that we are considered worthy to serve Him despite our sin and flaws. And it is by the grace of God that our calling is fulfilled. By the grace of God I am what I am. 1 Corinthians 15: 10 – 11.
I probably should have included 1 Corinthians 15: 9 to the passage I mentioned above.
Thank you, Rich!
God’s Word certainly seems like a bottomless treasure chest. There is so much to discover and so much to learn!
Since we are called by God to bless others I thought I would share a few thoughts from Max Lucado.
A problem is no more a challenge to God than a twig is to an elephant.
Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism.
Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity.
God’s efforts are strongest when our efforts are useless.
If God can make a billion galaxies, can’t he make good out of our bad and sense out of our faltering lives? Of course He can! He is God!
God is the shepherd who guides, the Lord who provides, the voice who brings peace in the storm.
Heaven invites you to set the lens of your heart on the heart of the Savior and make Him the object of your life.
The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love.
I say Let’s emulate Him. Let’s be people who are filled with His mercy toward others, as we experience His forgiveness and mercy in our own lives.
God loves you with an unearthly love. You can’t win it by being winsome. You can’t lose it by being a loser.
By the way no one is a loser who knows the Savior.
One of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because He is fond of you. He likes having you around.
This is true even, or maybe even especially in the cases of Rich, Tim, and wait for it, Jeff Englund, and obviously his spouse Debbie.
Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens.
It’s time to let God’s love cover all things in your life.
All secrets.
All hurts.
I John 1:9 really works if we continuously believe and practice it. God has removed our failures and sins an infinite distance from us and sees us as pure, accepted, holy, loved as His one and only, unique Son Christ Jesus, because we are in Him and all transgressions have been cover by His blood, and He has removed them from us as far as the East is from the West – an infinite distance.
God rejoices when we dare to dream.
Forgiveness is not saying the one who hurt you is right. Forgiveness is saying that God is faithful and will always do what is right.
We can forgive and leave the other person’s response: repentance and change, walking away, continued persecution, whatever with and in God’s supremely competent control and timing.
God is greater than our weakness. In fact, our weakness reveals how great God is.
God forgives your faults. Why don’t we do the same.
Nothing comes your way as a believer that has not first passed through the filter of God’s love.
Finally,
Be kind to yourself. God thinks you are worth His kindness. And he is a good judge of character.
It is likely foolish to argue with God’s judgements or direction. Love Him with all facets of your being, and your neighbor, and especially your brothers and sisters in Christ in the manner in which you yourself would want to be loved and treated.
Hint I don’t mind being treated quite well, or being “agape” loved on a significant bit. How about you?
Hi Jeff!
Thank you for sharing with us today. I think God’s fondness for us is a well that never runs dry, no matter who we are. You are a blessing to us, brother. 🙂
Jeff E.
How is God’s grace related to our calling?
Grace: The unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. Without Gods Grace, there would be no calling, no justification, no Holy Spirit given, and no sanctification, no salvation, and without salvation, why creation?
At the time of our calling we were dead in our sin. To fulfill His purpose for us, we needed to be raised to spiritual life, receive a new spirit, God’s Holy Spirit. We must have the determination and mindset to live the rest of our lives by faith. In submission to God as He fulfills His purpose for us through us. God’s Grace will be supporting and filling our needs all along the way.
Grace is found only 4 times in the Gospel of John, these 4 times can be found in John 1:14-17 shown below.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of GRACE and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'” And of His fullness we have all received, and GRACE for GRACE. For the law was given through Moses, but GRACE and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is Gods Grace to all mankind, given to each to the degree we humble ourselves, die to our flesh and allow Jesus to grow in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. He will accomplish our calling if we will get out of His way. Die to self and live in Christ.
Romans 6:6, 2 Corinthians 4:11, Galatians 2:20, James 4:6
Ron,
Thank you for sharing your definition of Grace! I guess Grace is the reason for our calling as well as the reason we can respond.
Absolutely Brother,
Ron
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Add to Starred Hymns
Contents
Top
Text
Author
Text Info
Tune
Timeline
Arrangements
Media
Page Scans
Instances
Wonderful grace of Jesus
Author: Haldor Lillenas (1918)
Tune: WONDERFUL GRACE
Published in 93 hymnals
Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI, Recording
Piano/Organ
Amazing Grace (Heartfelt Hymns and Gospe…
Representative Text
1. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Refrain:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All-sufficient grace for even me!
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
Oh, magnify the precious Name of Jesus,
Praise His Name!
2. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
3. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven
For all eternity—
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Source: 50 Uncommon Songs: for partakers of the common salvation #47
All representative texts • Compare texts^ top
Author: Haldor Lillenas
Born: November 19, 1885, Stord Island (near Bergen), Norway. Died: August 18, 1959, Aspen, Colorado. Buried: Floral Hills Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri. Pseudonyms– Virginia Rose Golden Laverne Gray Richard Hainsworth Rev. H. N. Lines Robert Whitmore Ferne Winters Lillenas emigrated to America as a child; his family settled first in South Dakota, then moved to Oregon in 1889. He attended Deets Pacific Bible College in Los Angeles, California (later renamed to Pasadena College); studied music at the Siegel-Myers School of Music in Chicago, Illinois; and received an honorary Docto… Go to person page >