Passage of the Day:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, 1 Peter 1:3-9.
Reflection:
After the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:6-19, salvation was God’s plan, Romans 5:12-21. Since death came through one man, Adam, God sent a second Adam in the person of Jesus to seek and to save that which was lost, Luke 19:10. As Peter writes the words above to first century Christians scattered throughout the Middle East due to Nero’s persecution, he is a recipient of God’s promise, John 3:16-17. Just as Jesus details how and why angels celebrate in heaven, Luke 15:7, Peter reminds Christians of the end goal: the salvation of your soul.
Prayerful Action:
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain, Philippians 4: 14-16.
Refreshing Your Soul:
Adults have a tendency to make things more complicated than they really are. What the apostle Paul illuminates in the call above is simply the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:13-16 uses salt and light to illustrate the role Christians should play throughout their lives. First, you should add flavor to the lives of the people that you come in contact with, pointing to God and turning your conversation to biblical promises. If the love of God is inside of your heart, you have the power to share and shine the of light Jesus to others. When the salvation of souls burns deep inside your heart, you’ll make the most of every opportunity, 1 Peter 3:15-16, that God gives you to share your faith with others.
Song of the Day:
When the body of Christ, the modern-day church, become the hands and feet of Jesus, the salvation of souls becomes a daily calling card to reach the lost.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 