I Peter V
…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2 ESV)
Outlandish Concept
Peter’s statement here is wildly unusual.
Humans (as well as dogs and kittens) think we are the boss.
We choose to do things because it suits us to choose to do them.
We fight for my rights, we work towards my needs, we follow my dreams, we travel my path, we figure out my plans, we make my bucket list, we do a lot of me stuff.
But surprisingly, Peter writes that all of this life stuff, for believers in Jesus, gets to be done for obedience to Jesus Christ.
This is actually a good thing… because my rights, my needs, my dreams, my path, my plans, and my bucket list are aimed at something frail, temporary, untested, and not that pretty.
But doing everything for Jesus… while it seems un-enlightened, impractical, old-fashioned and unpopular… is actually the only way to find grace and peace.