1 Peter 1
Bible Passage: 1 Peter 1
What is the true aim in life? Have we asked ourselves? Is it labour for our work? Is it to feed the family? Is it to enjoy life? Is it to have a sense of accomplishment or recognition from man? Is it to find our significant other or friendship or love?
Apostle Peter, in this epistle tells us the real purpose in life and the true aim in life; and that is to receive the heavenly kingdom that is prepared for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven to a lot of people, including some of us, is something very abstract. I have asked myself in the past and even till now. What do we do in heaven?
Is heaven a place of just joy or is heaven a place of work? Once the earth and the universe are destroyed in the last days with fire, what next? If God gives us work to do in heaven, what exactly do we do especially since there seem to be nothing left of the physical?
In fact, this is the most amazing thing about being a Christian, especially a Christian of True Jesus Church. Being a TJC Christian, is living a life of faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection, His commandments and ultimately our trust in Jesus that He will prepare us an eternal inheritance.
Have we seen Jesus, the apostles and even farther back in history, Moses, Abraham, Elijah? Have we seen Jesus’s death and resurrection?
There is this hymn that touches me, Hymn 350 “Were You There” as I have not been at the actual location, period in time and ever seen Jesus and yet today I put my trust in Jesus, the unseen.
Have we personally seen or been told orally by the apostles the efficacy of water baptism, foot washing and Holy Communion?
Salvation is truly by faith and even more so for us in the True Church, as most of us have full trust in the Word of God, which was written more than 2000 years ago.
This heavenly inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled and will not fade away and is reserved for us who are purchased and washed by the blood of Jesus, if and only if we keep the Word of God. Apostle Peter reminds us that the Heavenly Father will judge us without partiality and that we should be found blameless and holy before Him.
Therefore, having faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour is the first step in our life of faith; unfortunately many Christians just stop at this level of faith. The second step in our life of faith is to believe in the Words of Jesus and the Bible and putting our step forward in faith to receive the salvation methods described in the Bible. Equipped with faith, we have been spiritually transformed from a carnal person who was once in the abyss of sin and disobedience to the word of God, through water baptism, foot washing, Holy Communion and praying/ receiving the Holy Spirit, we shall be qualified to inherit the incorruptible, undefiled heavenly inheritance.
Most of us in TJC are minimally at this level of faith. However, the 3rd level of faith is one in which our faith is tested with fiery trials and our obedience and holiness has to be perfected in Christ. Moreover, not only do we undergo such tests, we also would have to bear good fruits for the Lord, for that is the reason why we are called to be in His Flock.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16)
Do we have faith?
Yes, more so than other Christians in some aspects.
Do we have enough faith to receive the heavenly inheritance?
I guess this is a question that we all have to ask ourselves.
Are we prepared to meet the Lord? Are we prepared to answer to our Lord if He asked us whether we have borne fruits for Him?
Last Sabbath, Pr Silas Kong encouraged the congregation to reflect on our level of faith and to offer our lives to Him. We should progress in faith from not only being babes, who only receive and cry for things from the parents, but to be adults where we can do things for our Heavenly Father and bring glory to Him.
As concluding verses we read,
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6-9)
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-15)
“that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;” (Colossians 1:10-11)
May our Lord Jesus help us to grow spiritually and keep us in His Word such that all of us elected by Christ may receive the salvation of our souls.
