As Obedient Children 1 Peter 1:14

Peter the apostle wrote to the Christians who were “scattered” and told them to “gird up the loins” of their “mind”, and to “be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto” them. In chapter one and verse fourteen, Peter encouraged the Christians to be “as obedient children” where we read:

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

The verse begins, “As obedient children,...” Peter began with the phrase, “As obedient” or “complying and submissive” “children” which refers to “the offspring and the name transferred to that intimate and reciprocal relationship formed between men by the bonds of love, friendship, trust, just as between parents and children”. Peter desired for the Christians who were “scattered” to be like unto compliant and submissive children to their parents.

The verse goes on to say, “...not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:” Peter continued with the words, “not fashioning yourselves according to” which means “conforming themselves to another's pattern” “the former” or “prior or beforetime” “lusts” which means “desires, cravings, longings and desire for what is forbidden” “in your ignorance” or “lack of knowledge especially of divine things and of moral blindness”. In other words, Peter desired for Christians to conform themselves to the pattern the Lord Jesus gave them and to forsake the “former desires” in which they engaged while they were morally blind.

When we consider Peter's words, we see the importance of “forsaking” our former sinful lives to live after the ways of God. Peter knew if the Christians were going to enjoy the “grace” and “salvation” the Lord Jesus will reveal, they needed to put their past lives behind them. May the Lord Jesus help us know when we need to leave our past behind and follow after His was “as obedient children”.

Next time Peter tells the Christians to “be holy in all manner” of living, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ;download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.