Day 85: Where Are We Heading Now?
Today is not only our final reading of the week, it is the last reading from the Third Section of MilktoMeat. We are are half-way through! We think about where we have come from and also where we are heading in the last half of our readings.
2 Corinthians 5:17
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
what is old has passed away–look, what is new has come!
WORDwork:
1 Peter 2:4–10
So as you come to Him (Jesus Christ), a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God’s sight, 2:5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …
2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 2:10 You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.
In 2:5, what are we being “built up” as?
What is the purpose for this at the end of 2:5?
What does Peter call us in 2:9?
What is the purpose for us being identified with all these ideas according to the end of 2:9?
In Christ, we are being built into a Spiritual House, a Holy Priesthood.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel never attained that goal that the Lord-God had for them: to be a Kingdom of Priests. Instead, because of their faithlessness, they were a Kingdom with Priests. In other words, not everyone could serve as a priest under the Old Covenant, only the descendants of Aaron could fill that role.
All this changes In Christ. Now, you and I are a new “building” and new Temple for the Lord. We are a “spiritual house” as Peter says. We are also a “holy priesthood” for the Lord offering “spiritual sacrifices.” We don’t offer animal sacrifices anymore; instead, we offer ourselves.
Peter also calls us, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own.” These are all truths that we are going to explore in detail in the next two study units. All of these statements define who we are as the Church, the Body of Christ. This is a whole new work that the Lord is doing. As the Body of Christ, we each have a significant priestly role to fill. We are indeed a Kingdom of Priests.
Now take note of the purposes for this: “so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” As the ones who have experienced the love and grace and mercy of the Lord-God—some of His excellencies—it is now our privilege and responsibility to share our experience of Him with others. We proclaim all that He has done for us and how that has changed everything for us.
If we take these purposes seriously, it may mean that some things get rough for us. Anytime we begin to push deeper into our relationship with Christ, anytime we take our call to walk with Christ seriously, it draws the attention of our adversary, the Devil, also called Satan in the Scriptures.
It is time to wake up…
Romans 13:11-14
…we know the time,
it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep,
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then let us cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
13:13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime,
not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
The longer we know Christ, the expectation grows that we should be walking closer to Him, growing in maturity—Christlikeness. The more we know Christ and the more we know about Him, the more we should be spiritually awake—realizing that we should have a greater and growing desire to live in a way that is pleasing to Christ the closer we get to His return (or our going to be with Him). This is what Paul is generally talking about in the verses above.
In the verses leading up to Romans 13:11, Paul encourages and exhorts that church to love one another, not be lazy, rejoice, be patient, be constant in prayer, bless and not curse, live in harmony with one another, not seek vengeance, be subject to the governing authorities, and finally fulfill the Law by doing all things in love.
This whole passage comes to a conclusion with the statement, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh…” We are going to spend a lot of time in the upcoming study units talking about how to do this. But before we can get there, it is vitally important that you understand what we have covered here. Much of what it means to “put on Christ” is to live in way that is shaped by all the birthright blessings you have received in Him.
As we move on from here, we should be aware of another of our Key Growth Stages:
Becoming AWAKE. Once we are AWARE of Father-God’s work in Christ through the Spirit in our lives and ALIVE in Christ through faith, we have to wake up to the reality that our life now matters for eternity. Part of this “waking up” is understanding who we are In Christ as we have been exploring in this workbook. Part of this “waking up” is understanding that we are in a Spiritual War that can only be fought with spiritual weapons.
2 Corinthians 5:17
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
what is old has passed away–look, what is new has come!
Over the next several days, think back over some to the key truths that have stood out to you in this study. Think about people you know who need to know these things too. Spend some time praying, giving thanks for all that Christ has done for you. Spend some time praying for those you know who need to know the truths you know.
Congratulations! You have finished the THIRD Section in MilktoMeat. You are ready to continue on in Phase 2 Walking In The Truth Part 2: Rooted and Growing in Christ
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
