Called to New Life
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Key Verse: “As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.” Selected Scripture: |
THE APOSTLE PAUL explained to the early church, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence [conviction, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott] of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) He also directed our attention to the subject of salvation by faith, and assures us, “We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”—Rom. 8:24,25
In our lesson, the Apostle Peter says that those called have been chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” (I Pet. 1:2) The prophets of old foretold the sufferings of Christ as “a ransom for all” (I Tim. 2:6), and of the grace that has now come to you. Peter also says it is according to God’s abundant mercy that we have been begotten “again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (I Pet. 1:3) It is now incumbent upon all of those chosen, to gird up the loins of their mind and take courage from this display of God’s love now made known to us. Though we must expect trials, yet we must fortify our mind with the thought that he who has given us his Son Jesus will withhold nothing from us that is good.
Jesus was described as “a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious.” Likewise, those who are called to walk in Jesus’ steps, “As lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (I Pet. 2:4,5) Commenting on this hope set before those called to a new life, the apostle said, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” He then adds, “In time past [you] were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (vss. 9,10) He urges us to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against our very souls.
How does the church live the new life in Christ, looking forward to God’s glory? Peter answers this question by quoting in I Peter 1:15,16 from Leviticus 11:45: “I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Peter continues, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”—vss. 18-21
The apostle then concludes this lesson by telling of the frailty of man and the endurance of God’s Word, which has been preached to us, by which we received this call to a new life.—vss. 24,25