Title: The life of a saint
Contents
saint's life
1 Peter 1:13-25
1 Peter is an exhortation to believers who have left their hometown and live a religious life in a foreign country because they believe in Jesus Christ.
The word saints in the Old Testament refers to God's people. In the New Testament, it refers to Christians. Those who have received a holy calling from God are saints. I believe that if those who have received a holy calling from God are saints, their lives should also be holy.
The 1st Peter we read today is talking about the life of the saints. If the life of a saint is a holy life, what kind of life is a holy life?
The first is a life of humility.
When I asked Augustine, a famous saint at the time of the Early Church, what was the most important virtue of Christianity, he said that he was humble. So, again, when I asked what was the second greatest virtue, he replied that it was humility again. When asked again the third time, what is the great virtue of Christianity, the third time he answered that it was also humility.
The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is the most fundamental of all vices. Pride is the mother of vice. Humility is the root of all virtues. Christian humility is not about being sarcastic or crouching. The humble man is rather the most free man in the universe, a prince and a princess. Genuine gentleman and ladies are born out of the Christian faith.
Christians are special spiritual royalty and nobility. It can be said that true humility is knowing yourself before God as God created you and staying in yourself as God has created you. It is humility to weigh yourself on the scales of God and see yourself through the eyes of God's evaluation at the full price, no more or less.
In this sense, the first thing in the life of a believer is humility. The night before the slaughter, Jesus came to the place where the disciples had gathered, filled a basin with water, had a towel wrapped around his waist, and washed the disciples' feet. At the time of Jesus, only slaves washed the feet of others, not their own. But Jesus washed the disciples' feet. The appearance of Jesus' service was impressive in the eyes of Peter, who was the chief disciple.
That is why, in the words we read today, we are admonishing you to “Girl your hearts and be sober.”
The second of the holy life should be a life free from greed It is greed that makes people sin and corrupt in the eventful world.
The source of greed is the devil. John 8:44 says, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you also want to do.” If we live according to the lusts of the world and the lusts of the flesh, we cannot fulfill the will of the Holy Spirit.
In a village lived a very lazy young man.
One day, a teacher came to the young man and asked:
“If I could just give you ten million won, what would you do with it?”
The young man thought for a long time and then replied:
"It's not enough with ten thousand won. I don't know if I give 20 million won...
The master left the young man's house without saying a word.
Because he knew that even if he gave the young man 20 million won, it would be of no use. People are tempted because each one is drawn by his own lust and falls into greed.
When lust conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin grows up, it brings forth death (James 1:14-15).
It is said that the bigger the dream, the better.
However, greed and dreams should not be confused.
If you dream in vain without any effort and you are not satisfied with what you have, it becomes greed.
God is the One who provides for our needs without any lack or surplus.
When we give up our greed and do our best in our circumstances, we will be able to taste the true peace that God wants to give us.
To be spiritually mature means to live a life of self-control without being greedy about the world.
The third is a holy life. Holiness is what sets you apart from the world. The people of God do not live according to the wisdom of the world, but according to the Word of God. Because God is holy, we should seek and follow a holy life as His children.
Oprah Winfrey recently interviewed married people who are dating. The woman who had been in a relationship with a married man for a long time said how happy she was. Then the issue of morality was raised. Then this woman defended, "Wait a minute. I'm a Christian, but I don't think personal life and religion matter. God wants me to be happy. If I'm happy with this person, God doesn't care."
Does God really want us to be happy? Is God the eternal nanny who only cares for us? Can we believe in God and live like the devil? Are you going to go to church to repent after living a prodigal life all week?
God is pure and cannot see evil. (Hab 1:13) God is light, and there is no darkness in him. If we say that we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. "(1 John 1:5,6). On the firm foundation of God stands a seal, saying, The Lord knows his people. And let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord depart from evil (2 Timothy 2:19).
That's right. God is interested in our happiness, but He is focused on our eternal happiness. He wants us to taste the joys of heaven, and He wants us to be righteous in this world. We can choose between good and evil, life and death. But remember, unless you are righteous, you cannot see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
The fourth of the holy life is a life of love.
Today's world is thirsty for love. It would not be wrong to say that love is exhausted in society, at home, even in Christian life.
1 Corinthians 13 says, “If I speak the tongues of men and the words of angels, but without love, I become a sounding copper and a chirping horn, and I have the power to prophesy, knowing all mysteries and all knowledge, and having all faith capable of moving mountains. Without love I am nothing.”
When a lawyer asked Jesus, “What is the highest commandment?” He answered, “The first is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” Also, Jesus said to his disciples before he died that he said, “Love one another,” and that when we love one another, the world will know that we are the Lord's disciples.
In fact, it is not easy to love God and to love your neighbor. Today, it is difficult to love one's own family, one's wife and husband, but it is not easy to love one's neighbor. But if we are children of God, we must love. Love is the mark of a Christian.
Lastly, if we want to live a holy life, we must live a life that follows the Word.
We cannot help but be grateful for the fact that human beings can read books. This is because the book contains infinite wisdom for life. Therefore, finding a good book and benefiting from it is truly valuable. It is grace and blessing that we can read the words of the Bible even in that week.
The story of Dostoevsky, who left a moving classic <Crime and Punishment>, is even more moving. When he was 16, he saw his father murdered by serfs. He then joined the socialist movement and was arrested and sentenced to death. When the train carrying the death row inmates stops at a small station, he is presented with a small book by a woman. That was the New Testament. All he could do in prison awaiting the death penalty was to read it. Eventually, in one small book, he met Christ.
Dostoevsky's confession of faith is as follows: "Even if someone proves to me that 'Christ is not the truth,' I want to be with Christ. I would rather be with Jesus than the truth." He is eventually miraculously pardoned and returned to his hometown to become the world's greatest writer.
Dear saints,
It is very difficult for us to live a holy life with our experience and knowledge. But when we follow the Lord step by step according to the Word of God, we will be able to live holy lives.
Therefore, we must live a holy life as saints with a holy calling in this age. We believe that when we live according to the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will have ample victory. May this grace be with all of us, I bless you in the name of the Lord.
One beautiful book always changes people. In particular, there is no book that has changed so many people as much as the Bible has its origins. Even at this very moment, such a miracle of change is taking place somewhere in the world. Reading the Bible means progress in the soul. No matter how busy and busy life is, the Bible should be at the center of your life. Because truly, man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.