Not Just Like Him - in Himનમૂનો

Day 6 - But wait…There’s More.

“If you really want to embarrass the average Christian, just ask them to tell you about his or her private prayer life.” – J.D. Greear.

I’ve been there. You?

As a rule of thumb, when someone asks me to pray for them or pastor them, I usually assume one thing: They don’t always feel like they’re winning at being a Christian. And honestly? Same.

But let’s look at Peter—our mentor with no qualifications —and the letter he wrote to a suffering, scattered church in exile. He has something to say to all of us who feel like spiritual underachievers.

Peter, a Jewish man, would’ve grown up learning the Torah. He knew the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai:

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession... You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5–6, NIV).

Any Jew at the time would have known this was a suzerain-vassal covenant in the ancient Near East—an agreement between a powerful king (suzerain) and a weaker people (vassals). The king would remind the people of what he had done for them (rescue, provision), and the people would pledge loyalty, obedience, and service. If they were faithful, the king promised protection and blessing. If not, there were consequences.

This is the Mosaic Covenant, played out in Exodus 19–24. God rescued Israel, gave the Law, and the people responded:

“Everything the Lord has said we will do” (Exodus 24:3, NIV).

Too often, we come to the Bible thinking the most important question is, “How am I supposed to act? What’s the takeaway?” But that’s not the primary question the Bible is trying to answer. Again and again, the deeper question being answered is, “What is this God really like?” And here, in the story of covenant, we discover something stunning: He is not like the other kings the Israelites knew. He doesn’t lead with control or conditional love.

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV).

When Peter writes his letter, he echoes the covenant language: You are a chosen people. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. God’s special possession (1Peter 2:9).
But now, the covenant no longer depends on Israel’s faithfulness. Because a new Vassal has stepped in—Jesus.

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood...” (Luke 22:20, NIV).

Jesus kept the covenant we never could. And through Him, we receive the protection, provision, and blessing of the King. Not because we earned it. But because he did.

And it gets better—this covenant isn’t just for Israel anymore. Because of Jesus, the invitation is no longer limited to one ethnic group—it extends to anyone, Jew or Gentile, who puts their faith in Him. The dividing wall has been broken down (Eph. 2:14).

That means I have eternal protection, not because of my obedience, but because of Jesus.
I can meet with God anytime, anywhere—because of Jesus.
All my needs? Met—because of Jesus.

And yet, we’re still called to live as priests—to show God’s compassion, love, and forgiveness to a world that desperately needs it. But even that, we can’t do alone.

Corrie Ten Boom, who I mentioned before, so beautifully put it in her autobiography: “And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself”.

Every act God calls us to—prayer, Scripture, community, loving others—it’s not about digging deeper into our own strength. It’s about turning to Jesus, who gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He is the vine. We are the branches. The life, the nourishment, the grace - all of it and more flows from Him.

So when it comes to “winning” at being a Christian—maybe failure is actually part of the point.
Maybe it’s a reminder.

A reminder that the Christian life was never meant to be about having a perfect prayer life, a daily Bible reading habit and becoming the forgiveness valedictorian.

If I never fall short, maybe I’m missing the point entirely. Because...

It’s never been about performance. Or perfection. Or striving for acceptance. Let me tell you—it’s only by the blood. ("The Blood," Bethel Music)

And breathe.
Hallelujah.
The Lord is my shepherd—
I lack nothing (Psalm 23).

Reflection Question: Where in my life have I not felt like a “great Christian”? How can I see this as an opportunity to experience Jesus’ power working in and through me?