HeartChurch, community for living in holiness. "1 Peter 1: 13-25"
Cordial greetings to the HeartChurch Ministry family, as it has been our pleasure to have celebrated with enthusiasm our 4th Anniversary within the prestigious platform of Steemit, in which we continue with great joy to announce the gospel of Jesus Christ through the multiple activities that are developed within the community with the best purpose of reaching souls for Christ and extend our hand of solidarity to those most in need. However, the word of God, exhorts the entire church of the Lord to remain in holiness, which includes all Christians who are under the scope of the "HeartChurch" Ministry. The apostle Peter manifests it with the following words:
13 Therefore, be prepared to act intelligently;[c] be self-controlled; set your hope completely on the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the evil desires you had before, when you lived in ignorance. 15 Rather, be holy in everything you do, just as he who called you is holy; 16 for it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."[d] 17 Since you call as Father the one who judges fairly the works of each one, live in reverent fear as long as you are pilgrims in this world. 18 As you well know, you were ransomed from the absurd life you inherited from your ancestors. The price of your ransom was not paid with perishable things, such as gold or silver, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without defect. 20 Christ, whom God chose before the creation of the world, has appeared in these last times for your benefit. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him up and glorified him, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth and have a sincere love for your brothers, love one another wholeheartedly. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed, through the word of God that lives and abides. 24 For "every mortal is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers and the flower falls off, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever."[f] And this is the word of the gospel that has been preached to you. "1 Peter 1: 13-25
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The apostle Peter makes a firm call to holiness to all believers and followers of Christ. To be holy as God is holy, implies separating ourselves from all the vices and evils to which we were enslaved at a certain time in the world. Peter says that we must act intelligently and with much self-control, because certainly, our flesh is weak and can drag us into the low sinful passions that are in it. We must put all our hope in the grace that will be given to us in the future when Christ will be revealed in glory in heaven. We must be truly obedient children of God and holy in all things that we have to do, because God calls us to his holiness and says to us, "be holy, for I am holy". The HeartChurch Christian community is part of this call and the fundamental purpose is to continue to promote and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ so that we all live completely in holiness as God has commanded us.
13 Therefore, dispose yourselves to act intelligently;[c] have self-control; place your hope completely in the grace that will be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the evil desires you had before, when you lived in ignorance. 15 But in everything you do, be holy, just as he who called you is holy; 16 for it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"1 Peter 1: 13-16
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Peter reminds the whole church of the Lord of the great need to live in reverent fear of God all the time of our pilgrimage in the world. It is worth noting, according to Peter's words, that we were redeemed from the perdition of the world by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and not by material things such as gold and silver. Christ paid the cost of our crimes and sins with something imperishable, which is his precious blood, which, in the same way, will be manifested in these last times for the benefit of all of us. In such a sense, beloved brethren, of the HeartChurch community we cannot divert our attention to perishable things, which end in corruptible things, therefore, let us maintain with dignity, our glorious profession of the gospel of Jesus Christ as faithful soldiers of holiness.
17 Since you call as Father the one who judges impartially the works of each one, live with reverent fear as long as you are pilgrims in this world. 18 As you well know, you were ransomed from the foolish life you inherited from your ancestors. The price of your ransom was not paid with perishable things, such as gold or silver, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without defect. 20 Christ, whom God chose before the creation of the world, has appeared in these last times for your benefit. " 1 Peter 1: 17-20
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While it is true that through obedience to the word of God we have been purified, it is also true that with a new heart we can now love our brothers and sisters as we love ourselves. Thanks be to our God, because he has allowed us to be born again, through the imperishable seed, which is his word, which lives and abides in us, as the apostle Peter explains:
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth and have a sincere love for your brothers, love one another with all your heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed, through the word of God that lives and abides. "1 Peter 1: 22-23
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So, beloved brothers of the HeartChurch community, having in our hands, the great power to preach the word of God, giving testimony of our holiness, it is also necessary to ensure that the word of God reaches its goal within the community, not diverting our attention to economic benefits, but rather, focusing our eyes on the preaching of the gospel, because the word of God must remain forever, while our earthly life, becomes like the grass in the field that loses its glory and like the flower that also withers. Let us continue to preach with love and passion, the fire of the word of God so that its flames may reach the lost.
For "every mortal is like grass,
and all its glory as the flower of the field;
the grass withers and the flower falls off,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word of the gospel that has been preached to you. " 1 Peter 1: 24-25
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