1 Peter is rocking my world!

PRAISE 
be to the
God
and
Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In
HIS GREAT MERCY
he has given us
NEW BIRTH 
INTO 
A LIVING HOPE 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that can
NEVER PERISH, SPOIL OR FADE
-kept in heaven for you,
who THROUGH FAITH
are shielded by
GOD'S POWER 
until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you
GREATLY REJOICE, 
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that
YOUR FAITH-
OF GREATER WORTH THAN GOLD, 
which perishes even though refined by fire-
may be proved genuine
and may
RESULT 
IN
PRAISE,
GLORY
AND HONOR
when Jesus Christ is revealed.
THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT SEEN HIM, 
YOU 
LOVE 
HIM;
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU DO NOT SEE HIM NOW
YOU 
BELIEVE 
IN 
HIM
and are filled with an
INEXPRESSIBLE
AND
GLORIOUS
JOY,
for you are receiving the goal of your faith,
THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.

1 PETER 1: 3-9

Ephesians 1: 13-14

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13-14


I have read these verses a million times before, but I read them and meditated on them last night and it is sooooo cool!!!

First of all we are "included in Christ"!  Such a cool thought to be INCLUDED in Christ.

The word of truth = gospel of our salvation

We were included in Christ when we heard and believed the word of truth-the gospel which brought us our salvation!

We were marked in Christ with a seal of the Holy Spirit.  The "promised" Holy Spirit.  God "deposits" the Holy Spirit in us.  This deposit guarantees our inheritance in Christ.  We are God's possession.  He is going to redeem us.

And all of this is for the "praise of his glory".  Have you ever actually broken down the idea that we are for the PRAISE. OF. HIS. GLORY.?  Our lives should be a living praise for Him.  For His glory.  So cool!

But the coolest part of this whole passage that I had never really seen before was the type of vocabulary used.  All throughout the passage there is vocabulary related to money, banking, etc.

~marked
~seal
~deposit
~guaranteeing
~inheritance
~redemption
~possession

I don't really know why I didn't see this before, but it is such a cool parallel!

And in Spanish it reads:

"En él también ustedes, cuando oyeron el mensaje de la verdad, el evangelio que les trajo la salvación, y lo creyeron, fueron marcados con el sello que es el Espirítu Santo prometido.  Este garantiza nuestra herencia hasta que llegue la redención final del pueblo adquirido por Dios, para alabanza de su gloria." Efesios 1: 13-14

Que padre!!!  God's possession = el pueblo adquirido

Como esta escrita en la canción-- "SOMOS EL PUEBLO DE DIOS!  EL PUEBLO DE DIOS!"

NUESTRAS VIDAS SON PARA LA ALABANZA DE SU GLORIA!!!