1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
God is a fair judge, which gives us assurance that we will be treated fairly. Peter’s statement here has the hint of warning. God will just what we do in this world. We are saved because of God’s grace, but what we do demonstrates what we believe. Our obedience validates and confirms the work of God’s grace in our lives and our faith to receive this grace. It is not enough to simply believe in our minds. We must also believe in our bodies in how we live and act.
Our motivation is that we realize that this world is not our home. We live in reverent fear because of the certainty of judgment. The “fear” is both reverence in worship and the realization that God is holy and sin will be punished. We do not need to approach God in terror but a healthy sense of worship of the Holy One. God as holy should inspire us to live godly lives of holiness. This will require commitment on our part. This commitment is fueled by worship. Meeting together for this will help us during our times of weakness.
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