Good morning. As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your
ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your
behavior, because it is written, "you shall be holy, for I am holy".
Remember that in Romans it says do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. We are God's children so we should be
like Him – holy. And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges
according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of
your stay upon earth. That sounds ominous. Where is all that freedom stuff?
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold
from the futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious
blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. If someone
was a slave, they could be redeemed if someone else had enough money. All the
money in the world could not redeem us. It took something even more precious and
valuable – the blood of Jesus Christ. Since He was willing to give His all for
us, shouldn't we be willing to give our all for Him? Father thank You that the
reader is not conformed to the things of the world; but rather conducts himself/herself
in holiness just as You are holy.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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