Peter’s Words, Part III Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Peter’s Words, Part III ------------------------------ Date: 07/03/2000 Keywords: "conduct" "father" "futile" "Peter" "redeemed" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 1 Peter 1:17-19* 17. And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; 18. knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19. but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. Questions 1. Do you know God as your Father? Do you think of Him this way?   2. Have you ever been bailed out of a tough situation?   Practical help Let's take these three verses apart one at a time. If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you have entered into a relationship where God is your Father. This does not make Him any less God in the sense that now you are free to get away with living a worthless life. Rather, it means you now have a Father in heaven who loves you too much to leave you with destructive habits. On top of this, rather than an earthly father who is probably unaware of a great many things you do in secret, like pornography, your Father in heaven knows all about it. You are not pulling the wool over His eyes. Since this is the case, the verse concludes, "conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth." Now "fear" in this case does not mean cowardice or panic. It means deep respect or reverence. Verse 18 really speaks to our time as we see so many people make excuses for their behavior, blaming it on circumstances, genetics, and a crummy upbringing. Peter acknowledges that you have received a "futile way of life inherited from your forefathers," however he also says that you have been delivered from this. How? The answer is in verse 19. When Jesus willingly went to the cross, it was to shed His own blood on our behalf. He did not deserve to be executed because he had done nothing wrong. This is what John the Baptist was declaring when he said about Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Because Jesus was sinless, He acted like a spotless, innocent lamb as pictured in the Old Testament who was laid upon an alter and sacrificed to reconcile sinful men to a holy God. So don't hide any longer behind excuses like "it is too hard to give up porn," or "I am locked into my behavior because of my circumstances." These are not valid arguments for the one who has given his or her life to Christ. To learn how to become a follower of Christ, click here. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."