Focus: Uncluttered Life

Text: 1Pet.2:1

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings."

In the first twelve verses of 1Pet.1, Peter tells us about our new life in Christ. God has breathed life into us again as He did to Adam in Gen.2. He has made us partakers of His divine nature. Christ has redeemed us by His shed blood and set us free from the thralldom of Satan by His resurrection power.

Now, from the remaining part of chapter 1 to 2:3, Peter calls on us to trash our old habits or former life of sin. He calls on us to do away with the old man. The Scripture says, "Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." The Message Bible translates, "So, clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy, and hurtful talk." Peter calls on us to get rid of every moral mess in our lives. 

Now that we have a brand new life in Christ, there's need for us to let the world around see that divine change has occurred in our lives. We are now a brand new creation in Christ Jesus. Our spiritual responsibility now is letting our light shine for all to see and believe in Christ for themselves. We are not working to be saved; we rather work because we are saved already (1Pet.1:23). 

We are required to clean house and declutter our lives by freeing up our inner space for Christ to feel at home within us.

We need to let the world around us take notice of the change that has taken place in our lives. Let's show the world that we are no longer the usual or old us. A new us is born inside of us; so let's manifest him to the world around us.

God through Christ has brought about a radical change in our lives. Now we need to show it practically. Let's deal decisively with the old habits and the old lifestyle that is diametrically opposed to the new person in Christ that we have become.

Child of God, keep trashing the old way of life. Keep nursing and nurturing the new man. Keep feeding on the word of God and praying to the Lord. Let go the malice, the hypocrisy, the envy, and the slander. Live free from all spiritual and moral impurities. Take out of your life all the moral trash and live an uncluttered life. Evangelize for Christ both with your lips and with your life.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter