1 Peter 1:18-21
You know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, not with things that pass away, such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish or spot. He was chosen before the foundation of the world but revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him, you are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Forgive us when we measure ourselves by the world’s standards: our number of friends—on Facebook, our amount of stuff—piled in places we never see, our looks, power, wealth, or our . . . (you name it.) So while the world has come up with new ways of measuring what it deems of value, all their standards remain empty: social, looks, wealth, and power. All these can disappear in a flash. After all, how many of those Facebook friends do we know? All that the world determines to have value is shallow, empty achievements.
Nothing of this world could have brought us back from hell’s abyss for our sins but your precious hallowed blood. The world’s things will all pass away, not something upon which we should hang our identity. Our true identity comes from you. You, the lamb without spot or blemish, were the sacrifice for the world’s sins, selected for the plan of salvation to restore us back to the Father. This gift is given to us through faith in you. You are our identity; we are Christians; we are your children because of your precious blood. We know your payment was accepted for our sins because God raised you from the dead. And as Peter wrote, our faith and hope no longer rest in the empty ways of this world but what is hallowed, in you our God. We have a new identity through your blood; we are heirs of heaven, and this will never disappear or fade away. We rest our faith and hope in you. Thank you for being revealed as our Savior; may we have opportunities to share this hope with others so they too will have a new identity in you. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Place your faith and hope in Jesus; his love and mercy will never change or wear out.