He Gets The Last Word

1 Peter 5:10. We now come to the conclusion of 1 Peter, and here in verse ten, he concludes with a prayer. Note he says "the God of all grace..." God is called "the God of all comfort" in 2 Cor.1:3, and here, Peter calls Him "the God of all grace." "All" carries the idea of comprehensiveness and universality. His grace is comprehensive and universal for any need of any believer at any time. Every problem you and I encounter, God, in His grace, already has a solution for it. God has cornered the market on grace and comfort. And though we may "suffer for a while", this suffering won't last forever. As the Message renders this verse, "It won't be long before this generous [and gracious] God who has great plans for us in Christ--eternal and glorious plans they are--will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes He does!" Praise God. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! Suffering doesn't have the last Word. God does!

Thanksgiving

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." --Psalm 100:4-5.

Quote for today: "For the Christian, thanksgiving is not just a day but a way of life."

God Sees and Hears

1 Peter 3. The main theme of 1 Peter is our response to suffering. Here the response is prayer. In v.12 he quotes Psalm 34:15-16: "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." I think I can safely say this may have been a favorite Psalm of Peter's. Why? Because in Acts 12 we read of how Peter was miraculously delivered from jail. Go back and read Acts 12 and you'll see how the church was praying for Peter, thus God's ears were open to their prayers, and His eyes were upon righteous Peter. And by the end of the chapter, the face of the LORD was against Herod, and Herod died. Peter knew what he was preaching about. He lived it!

Application:
As a child of God, here is what you can count on:
1. God Sees Your Trials:
He looks down and sees what you are going through. He sees the trials and tribulations you are going through, and He sees the storms you are in right now.
2. God Hears Your Prayers:
Never underestimate the power of prayer. Thomas Watson said, "The angel fetched Peter out of jail, but it was prayer that fetched the angel." I do believe we have angels watching over us. The psalmist said in that same psalm, "The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them..." Ps.34:7. But again, it's prayer that fetches the angel. You can count on this: God hears your prayers.
3. God Deals With Your Enemies:
The death of Herod was under the sovereign will of God. God will deal with our enemies. A sub-theme of 1 Peter is "Our Christian conduct in an anti-Christian world" (another response to suffering). God knows that we are living in an ever increasing anti-Christian world. He knows that the enemies of the cross are increasing, not only in number, but also in intensity. But take comfort in knowing this: God will deal with our enemies. Praise God! What have we to worry about when we know that our God is watching over us? Meditate on this today.

A Royal Priest

1 Peter 2. One of the key doctrines of New Testament Christianity is often overlooked. It's found right here in chapter two. It is the priesthood of the believer. We know about the Old Testament priest, but we don't think much about believers being N.T. priest; but that's exactly what we are in Christ. When God gave the Law He called Israel out as "a kingdom of priests" (Ex.19:6), but Israel violated the Law, and God shut up the priestly office to the Aaronic family, appointing the tribe of Levi to minister to Israel, thus constituting the typical priesthood (Ex.28:1).
Now in the Church Age, all Christians are unconditionally constituted "kings and priests" (here in 2:9 and in Rev.1:6), the distinction which Israel failed to achieve by works. The priesthood of the Christian is, therefore, a birthright, just as every descendant of Aaron was born to the priesthood (Heb.5:1). [Scofield study notes]

So now as a priest, in this N.T. priesthood, you and I have some priestly obligations of offering up spiritual sacrifices. First, we offer up...
1. A Sacrifice of Repentance: Psalm 51:16-17.
2. A Sacrifice of Praise: Hebrews 13:15.
3. A Sacrifice of Service: Hebrews 13:16.
4. A Sacrifice of Proclamation: 1 Peter 2:9
5. A Sacrifice of Self: Rom.12:1.

Now let me ask you, how are you doing on your priestly obligations? Are you daily offering up your spiritual sacrifices? Go back and read and meditate on each one of the above verses to learn more about your spiritual sacrifices. And then fully surrender to God, because He's not looking for a dead sacrifice; He's looking for a "living sacrifice." Then, begin your day by singing a song of promise to God:

"Lord prepare me...to be a sanctuary,...pure and holy,...tried and true;...With thanksgiving,...I'll be a living...sanctuary...for You!"
You know it. Sing it again.
Sing it unto the Lord again and again this day. What a privilege to serve God in this royal priesthood!

Back

We're back. I want to thank everyone who prayed for our prison ministry while we were away. God worked in some mighty ways this past weekend. There were many decisions for Christ and many rededications. God is so good! Tomorrow we'll get back to our 'blog' devotionals. Tomorrow's text is I Peter 2. See you here tomorrow, God bless. Bro. Royce

Remember the Prisoners

Hebrews 13. Today we close out Hebrews, and I close out blogging for this week. The reason that I will not be at my computer can be found in our reading today. Notice 13:3, "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them--those who are mistreated....." Beginning this Thursday, I will be "chained with them" in the Kairos Prison Ministry. Jesus told His disciples, "I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me....Then the righteous...said, 'Lord when did we see You sick or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer...'Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these brethren, you did it to Me.'" [Matt.25:36-40]
The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers of this very thought, "Remember the prisoners..." Chapter 11 of Hebrews gave us the Patterns of Faith. Chapter 12 taught us about Perseverance of Faith. And now Chapter 13 gives us the Practice of Faith. Now it's time to put your faith into action: Love the brethren, entertain strangers, remember the prisoners and those who are mistreated, guard your marriage, be content, appreciate your pastoral leaders, don't be carried away by strange doctrines or the newest fads..., and that's just the first nine verses. It's all about putting our faith in practice. James said, "What does it profit...if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled', but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works....." [James 2:14-18]
My dear friend, you call yourself a person of faith, but does your faith show? Christianity is love in action, faith in action. How long have you claimed to be a Christian? Well, it's time to get into action. Take a meal to someone. Visit a shut in. Call upon those who are sick. Drop a card in the mail to someone who needs encouragement. Volunteer at the homeless shelter or some other outreach mission work. Go on a short term mission trip. Bottom line: If your faith is genuine, it will make a difference in somebody's life beside yours. And the greatest ministry of all is prayer. It all starts there. We talk to God about our lost friends, before we talk to our lost friends about God. And you can have a vital part in the lives of 42 men this week by praying for them. Pray that these 42 prisoners will find Christ. Pray that those who already know Christ will rededicate their lives. Pray that they will let go of any bitterness and hard feelings they have. And pray they'll be able to forgive, even forgive themselves. Seriously pray for these guys and our Kairos team. I thank you and one future day in heaven, these guys will thank you. And Jesus will thank you. Why? Because when you did it for them, you did it for Him! Well, I 've rambled enough today. God bless, and I'll see you back here next Monday.

Weighed Down

Hebrews 12. Chapter 12 is about running the race of faith successfully, yet the word winning isn't mentioned once. Rather, the writer emphasized endurance and discipline. Without these qualities, the race can't be finished and finished well. In v.1 he tells us to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us..." Notice, it's two things we are called to lay aside: 1) Weight and 2) Sin. We know the sin we struggle with. No one has to tell us that. The Holy Spirit already has. But often we overlook the 'good things' that hinder our walk with Christ. Weight is not necessarily a bad thing here. It could actually be a good thing. In fact runners will often train with weights strapped around their ankles. But on race day, they 'lay them aside', take them off.

The story is told of the army of Alexander the Great advancing on Persia. At one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in combat. Alexander immediately commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap and burned. The men complained bitterly but soon came to see the wisdom of the order. Someone wrote, "It was as if wings had been given to them--they walked lightly again." Victory was assured.

Let me ask you, how much time did you spend last week reading magazines, newspapers, or novels? How much time did you spend watching TV or surfing the internet? How much time did you spend reading countless emails of the same old circulated stories? But how much time did you spend feeding your soul on the Word of God? My dear friends, it's time to wake up! You are in a race which calls for the best that is in you. What is the weight which is slowing you down in your Christian life? Ask yourself in everything you do, 'Does this help or hinder my spiritual life?' It really isn't hard if we are only willing to face it.

HOW TO RUN THE RACE
Find a trainer: Rely on the Holy Spirit for His help.
Follow a game plan: Read God's Word.
Work out regularly: Put your faith into action.

No pain, no gain.
Know pain, great gain..

[Unknown source]

Better Blood!

Hebrews 9. I remind you to read each verse of these chapters because they are so rich, and it is impossible to uncover all the truths in such a short devotion as this. Today, we again zero in on just a few verses. Read vs.11-12. Now again, remember that this epistle was written to Hebrew Christians who were being drawn back into the old sacrificial system. And once again, the author is saying, "Don't go back. Why would you want to return to a system of rules and regulations when the work of salvation has been completed by Jesus Christ, the only perfect Lamb of God?" Jesus has entered a "better" Tabernacle, a Tabernacle not made with hands--a heavenly Tabernacle, and He, our "better" High Priest, has offered His own blood, the "better blood", in that Most Holy Place, once for all, having secured our eternal redemption.

Once a year the high priest of Israel, on the Day of Atonement, would enter in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle to offer a sacrifice for the sins of Israel. When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His blood for us, and then He ascended into Heaven to enter into that Heavenly Tabernacle, into the Most Holy Place, and there sprinkled His own blood on the Mercy Seat there in heaven. Now, every time satan, the accuser of the brethren, tries to bring accusation against me, all Jesus does is point to that blood on the mercy seat. The blood of bulls and goats, under the Old Covenant, only covered sin. But the blood of Jesus, under the New Covenant, removes sin for redemption, once and for, all and forever! At this point all I can do is sing:

"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

Remember, the writer of Hebrews is pointing out the "better" things of the New Covenant. And chapter nine is the "better" Tabernacle, the "better" sacrifice, the "better" blood. Why would anyone go back to the lesser?

Between You and God

Hebrews 8. Now we come to the better covenant, the New Covenant. The writer expounds upon the New Covenant that was prophesied in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36. He notes how the New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant on many points. I want us to focus in on two of those points. One is found in 8:10 where the Lord said, "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Here, God declares that, rather than writing His will on tablets of stone as He did with the Old Covenant, He would write the New Covenant on the tablets of our hearts. His will would no longer be external; now it would be internal. Under the Old Covenant, obedience sprang from fear. Under the New Covenant it issues from a willing heart and mind.

The second point we focus on today is found in 8:11, "None of them shall teach his neighbor...saying 'know the Lord,' for all shall know Me...." The New Covenant secures the personal revelation of the Lord to every believer. Carefully note that. As a New Testament believer, the Lord Himself reveals to you His will and that which He expects of you. In other words, if you came to me and said, "Royce, I haven't been in church like I should, but no one came to visit me. No one came to confront me of my laziness. No one came to tell me to get back in church." I would answer, "I know. It's not our job according to Hebrews 8:11. In fact, 8:11 says you already know what you should have been doing because the Lord wrote His will on your heart!" You see my dear believer, no one has to tell you what to do. You know what the Lord requires of you. You know you should be actively a part of a church. You know you should be tithing. You know you should be witnessing. You know you should be spending time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study. I don't even have to continue this list. You know exactly where you are falling short, because Christ lives in you and has written His laws on your heart. Now what you do next is up to you. What you do next shows what you really believe about God. At this point I can say no more. Now, it's between you and God!

Jesus Is Praying For You

Hebrews 7. You will recall from our Nov. 6th blog that the writer of Hebrews is basing his argument on the "Superiority of Christ." Here in ch.7, the writer argues that Christ's priesthood, like Melchizedek's, is superior in its order. In ch.8, the emphasis will be on Christ's better covenant; in ch.9, the emphasis will be on His better sanctuary; and in ch.10, the writer will conclude by arguing for Christ's better sacrifice. The background on Melchizedek is found in Gen.14:17-24. Scripture gives no indication of his lineage. He was not an Israelite and therefore not a member of the priestly line of the Levites. Yet he was greater than Abraham, the father of the Israelites and of the Levites. Likewise, Jesus was not from the priestly line of the Levites but was superior to them.

What is a concise conclusion of all this? It is stated in 7:25, "Therefore [because He is the ever-living, unchanging High Priest], He is able to save them to the uttermost [completely, forever] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." The basis for this completed salvation is the heavenly intercession of the Savior. Intercession involves our Lord's representation of His people at the throne of God. Through Christ, we are able to draw near to God in prayer and also to offer spiritual sacrifices to God (Heb.4:14-16; 1 Peter 2:5). It has well been said that Christ's life in heaven is His prayer for us. It is what He is that determines what He does. He is our one true Mediator between God and us (see 1 Tim.2:5-6).

We will face many temptations and difficult circumstances in this life. At times our strength may fail and our faith may waiver, but we have this hope: Christ our High Priest forever intercedes for us with the Father. He is victorious and intends to bring us victory as well! Isn't it wonderful to know that HE is praying for you?

Trust Christ Today

Hebrews 6. The second part of this difficult passage deals with spiritual apostasy. Generally, there are 4 views on 6:4-6. 1) Arminians view this as Christians who actually lose their salvation. If this be so, notice that the passage also teaches that it is impossible to be saved a second time "it is impossible...to renew them again to repentance." 2) A second view presents this as a hypothetical case: if one could "fall away", it would be impossible to renew him again to repentance; for in such an instance, it would be necessary for Christ to be crucified a second time. Obviously, this will not occur (Heb.10:12,14); thus to fall away is impossible. 3) A third view understands this passage to be a warning to genuine believers to urge them on in Christian growth and maturity, which is the context of the 5:11-6:3. To "fall away" is impossible (since, according to this view, true believers are eternally secure), but the phrase is placed in the sentence to strengthen the warning. It is similar to saying something like this to a class of students: "It is impossible for a student, once enrolled in this course, if he turns the clock back [which cannot be done,] to start the course over. Therefore, let all students go on to deeper knowledge." (Ryrie) 4) And then there is a fourth view of apostasy. This view sees the warning not just in the context of this passage, but in the context of the entire book; that context being a letter written to Jewish Christians with an overall theme that Christ is better than Judaism; therefore DON'T GO BACK into dead Judaism. Thus the warning here is directed to some of the Jewish people who professed to be believers in Christ but stopped short of true faith in Him after advancing to the threshold of salvation. (Scofield). Judas Iscariot is a good example of one who had knowledge, was enlightened and even tasted of the gospel, but in the end turned from Christ and thus became the prime example of an arch-apostate.
Though not one of these views is without its problems, I would see the third and fourth views as the best possibilities, and would favor the fourth view as the best option. But here's the bottom line: Either way you look at it, those who reject Christ will not be saved. Christ died once for all. He will not be crucified again. And you have this one lifetime to accept Him or reject Him. As you stand on the brink of eternity, please don't gamble with your soul. Trust Christ today as your Savior; before it's eternally too late!

How Old Are You?

Hebrews 5. Hebrews contains five warning passages and the close of chapter five begins the third warning (5:11-6:20). As we'll see tomorrow, this is one of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture. Today we look at the first part of it, which deals with spiritual immaturity. Here the writer of Hebrews gives us the marks of spiritual immaturity:
1. Dullness Toward The Word 5:11
The first word in this phrase can mean "sluggish, dull, dimwit, negligent or lazy." One of the first symptoms of spiritual immaturity and regression is dullness towards the Bible. Sunday School class is dull, the preaching is dull, anything spiritual is dull. But the problem is not with the Sunday School teacher or the pastor, but with the believer himself. He is lazy and neglects the Word, thus he has no passion or desire to learn and grow.
2. Inability To Share 5:12a
The ability to share spiritual truth with others is a mark of maturity. Not all Christians have the gift of teaching, but all can share what they learn from the Word. But instead of sharing what they have learned, these Hebrew Christians were in need of learning again the simple teachings of the Word of God.
3. A 'baby food' Diet 5:12b-13
Milk is a predigested food, and it is specially suited to babies. But only those who have teeth can enjoy meat. The writer defines the "milk" as the "first principles of the oracles of God". The "meat" of the Word is the teaching about our Lord's ministry now in heaven as our High Priest. The writer wanted to give this "meat" to them, but they were not ready for it.
4. Unskillful In Using The Word 5:14
As we grow in the Word, we learn to use it in daily life. As we apply the Word, we exercise our "spiritual senses" and develop spiritual discernment. It is characteristic of little children that they lack discernment. The ability to discern good and evil is a vital part of Christian maturity. The absence of this kind of discernment is a mark of spiritual immaturity.
Application:
Do you see a pattern of growth in your own life by which you are moving from the need of "milk" to the spiritual intake of "meat"? Would you say that in the past year that you have progressed in your spiritual walk with Christ? Do you have a desire to learn and grow, or are you lazy and neglectful when it comes to the things of God and His Word? How long have you been a Christian? 10 years? 15 years? 20 years? If you have been a Christian for 20 years then your spiritual maturity level should be 20 years of growth in Christ, and you should not be behaving like a 1 year old baby Christian. How old are you in Christ, and how old do you behave?

He Took Control

Hebrews 2. In this chapter we see a very important, yet misunderstood truth: "We lost control; so He took control." In His very first recorded words to us, His creatures, God placed the world under our control (2:5-8 and see Gen.1:26-28). The word "dominion" in Gen.1:26 can also be translated "kingdom", "sovereign rule", or "royal power". In essence, man was created to have rulership over the earth.
However, through sin and rebellion, we lost this lofty position. Mankind's failure through disobedience to his Creator resulted in the loss of his dominion over the earth. But there is hope for us, for "we do see Jesus" (2:9) who, by being made "...lower than the angels," that is, by becoming human (2:14 and compare 2:7 and 2:9), has through His death and resurrection become "a perfect Captain [or leader]..."(2:10) and the "High Priest" who is able to completely forgive our sins (2:17-18). With the eyes of faith we see Jesus, already crowned and reigning over the universe, fulfilling our own lost destiny:

• We were meant to rule over "all things" (2:8).
• At the present, this is far from reality (2:8). Unredeemed humans can't subdue their own sinful nature, let alone their environment.
  
• But Jesus will bring us "into glory" allowing us someday to help Him rule the universe (2:10; and see 2 Tim.2:12; Rev.20:4,6; 22:5).
  

As a child of God, Jesus is not only my Creator (John 1:3), my Redeemer (Rev.5:9), and my Shepherd (John 10:11), but also my elder brother (here in 2:11,17; and see Psalm 22:22; Rom.8:29).
Yes, way back in the Garden of Eden, man sinned and thus we lost control. But thank God He took control and took upon flesh and conquered death along with him who had the power over death, that is the devil and set us free (2:14-15) ! If you are a believer today, then you are free in Christ and free indeed! If not, why not trust Him as your Savior today.?He'll redeem you and set you free! Amen!

Superiority of Christ

Hebrews 1. Today we begin reading this great epistle Hebrews. There has been much debate over the identity of the AUTHOR. Paul was traditionally held as author, but many others have been suggested. Personally, I lean towards Paul for a variety of reasons, but there's not enough time to discuss this matter in a short daily devotion. Suffice it to say, we do know who the author is. Ultimately, God is the author, as He is all of the Bible. In fact, Hebrews opens with the name of its Author--not Apollos, not Barnabas, not Luke, not Paul--but God "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke...." (1:1).
Next, knowing something about the AUDIENCE and ARGUMENT will help us understand this letter. First, Hebrews was addressed to Jewish believers who were turning back to Judaism. Persecution was becoming a real threat for these new Jewish Christians in the first century. Sensing that many of these Jewish believers were slipping back into Judaism, the writer exhorts them "to go on unto perfection" (6:1) and for them to "not forsake the assembling of [themselves] together, as is the manner of some..." (10:25). This author based his ARGUMENT on the "Superiority of Christ" over the Judaic system. As you will note in reading Hebrews, Christ is "better" than the prophets, the angels, and Moses. He is better than the Aaronic priesthood, the Law and thus Christ mediates a better covenant. In short, there is more to be gained in Christ than to be lost in Judaism. Thus "the Superiority of Christ" is the theme of this letter.
Now, how does this apply to us today in our tolerant, pluralistic, anything goes society? It is simply this: The superiority of Christianity is based on the superiority of Jesus Christ! Period! Just as in the first century, it was not Jesus plus the angels or Jesus plus Moses. NO! It was Jesus period! Same today: It's not Jesus and politics, nor Jesus and education, nor Jesus and some other religion. It's Jesus Christ period. He is the way, truth and life and no man comes to the Father but by Him! (John 14:6). As you read the first chapter today, you'll see immediately, this book is about the superiority of Jesus.

Prisoner of________?

Philemon. Along with Paul's prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians), Paul drops a post card in the mail to Philemon. Paul wrote Philemon to implore him to forgive and receive his runaway slave, Onesimus, back as a new brother in Christ. Onesimus was Philemon's slave and he apparently had helped himself to some of his master's possessions (v.18), and then fled to Rome. This escape was punishable by death. When a slave ran away, the master would register the name and description with the officials, and the slave would be posted on the "most wanted" list. So Onesimus, like most escapees would do, fled to Rome to get lost in the crowd. Somehow his path crossed the Apostle Paul's, and Paul led him to Christ (v.10). Now Onesimus is faced with doing the right thing by returning back to his master. So Paul takes up the pen and writes a wonderful letter of intercession on Onesimus' behalf and implores Philemon to forgive him and receive him as a brother in Christ. This little letter is a powerful lesson on forgiveness and restoration. Now some lessons of application for us:

1. Like Onesimus, we stand guilty of crimes before God, and we then run seeking freedom in the wrong places. But it's only in Christ where we find true freedom.

2. (v.1) Paul opens the letter identifying himself as a prisoner, not as a prisoner of Rome, but as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Everyone is a prisoner of someone or something. Some are imprisoned by passion or pride or popularity, power, addictions, or even by an unforgiving spirit, hate and bitterness. And some are even imprisoned by success. What about you?

3. Forgiveness is most Christ-like when it is given to the undeserving.

4. The Gospel reconciles people not only to God but also to one another.

As you examine your heart, are there people you need to forgive, regardless of the wrong they have done to you? What steps could you take today, in Christ, toward forgiveness and healing?

One Vote

Does your one vote count? You bet it does. In 1776 one vote gave America the English language instead of German; in 1845 one vote brought Texas into the Union; in 1868 one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment; in 1876 one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic; in 1876 one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the United States; in 1933 one vote gave Adolph Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party; in 1960 one vote change in each precinct in Illinois would have given the presidency to Richard Nixon instead of John F. Kennedy. So get out and vote today. Your one vote does count! Your one vote can make a difference!

Blessed Hope = Holiness

Titus 2. In the first ten verses of this chapter Paul discusses obligations and responsibilities that produces healthy relationships within the church. In verse 10 we find a transition. Why live in such a way that Paul has just prescribed (v.1-10a)? "[so] that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things."(v10b). The idea is to wear Him. What makes a church attractive to the world is not its programs, but rather its holiness.
Then Paul expounds on that holy living in v.11-12. Once a person receives the free gift of salvation, he or she knows and senses immediately an obligation to live righteously. And the next verse tells us how. "Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." v.13. If you really believe Jesus is coming soon, it will affect everything you do. You never drive so carefully as the day you discover your driver's license has expired. So, too, we will live soberly, righteously, and godly when we understand that Christ is coming and His soon return is imminent. My desire and prayer is that you are looking for the blessed hope--of the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. And if you are, you will lead a life of holiness and godliness, bearing fruit for our Lord! The blessed hope produces holiness!