Precious And Honoured In His SightSample

It’s a big deal when someone pays a significant personal cost to help another person in a sticky situation. I think of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, who goes to great lengths to save Elizabeth Bennett and her family from a great scandal. But to achieve our redemption, God went to the greatest length possible. He paid the greatest cost of all: the precious blood of Jesus.

Peter stresses this point in his letter in order to urge his readers to live lives of holiness, and not return to their former “empty way of life”. This is something we too need to hear, as often the way of the world looks far from empty – in fact, it looks attractive and exciting. But the reality is, infinite joy and “life to the full” (John 10:10) is found in a life of obedience to Jesus.  

God cared about us so much that he redeemed us by Christ’s precious blood. This truth should spur us on to a godly life. In the words of Charles Spurgeon, “There is no motive for holiness so great as that which streams from the veins of Jesus.” 

Do you ever feel tempted to live the way of your former way of life? How might this passage motivate you to holiness?