Rereading is a good thing.

        You know how you will read the Bible and then you read it again, places that you have read before, but this time verses jump out at you.  The verses are packed with information.  It's been there, you just didn't notice before. How could you have missed it before. you ask yourself.  God opens our eyes sometimes and our hearts.    We are going through 1 Peter in church.  Facinating...but the whole Bible is fascinating.  Today we were in the second chapter.  These verses just jumped out.  Answers to questions I have been asked.  I never knew where in the Bible it said what I said as truth. 

1 Peter 2 (NIV) 

2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ²

 

^{I knew that the angry way of dealing with people who hurt was wrong.  That the Bible says that vengeance is wrong.  Leave all that for God to deal with.  HE has our backs.  So this verse reminds me to not try to "get back or get even"  , to not be jealous of those who hurt  me or get away with doing wrong, to not talk badly about them which is what I understand slander to be.  I am guilty about talking badly about those who have hurt me or took advantage and don't see what they have done is wrong.  I just need to give it up to God.  Lay it down at the feet of Jesus.  "Let it go" or "Let it be"    Sometimes we all just need to be reminded of what we already know in our hearts.  Thank you God.} 

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”^[b]

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”^[c]

⁸ and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

These verses tell us, those who love the Lord and believe Jesus as our savior and the only way to Heaven, that were are not of this fallen world.  We are set apart and we are different.  It is ok to be different.  We belong to God and not the world. We do Godly things and not worldly things.  We follow God and not follow  the worlds views and beliefs. 

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

We believers in Christ are to be an example of Christ.  Or try to, we are not perfect and God knows this and is forgiving.  But try to do good.   Some think that because they are Jesus followers and know they are going to heaven and that they will be forgiven, that they can just do as they please and continue sinning and doing bad things.  Living a worldly life you might say.  Cant have both , the world and Heaven.  Live for the Lord, when you make a mistake, confess to God and repent.  If you don't feel bad for your sin, then you have not repented (or turned away and try to do better)  People who use this excuse to continue a sinful life because they know they are forgiven, need to read  verse 16.   Verse 17 says to show respect to EVERYONE!!   We can respectfully tell someone that what they do is wrong.  But we don't need to argue or get angry.  State the truth and be respectful to them.  If they don't listen, just walk away.  Don't take things personally.  The battle is a spiritual one.  Walk away and pray for them.  We are to love our family of believers (Jesus followers)  This is where the Bible says to love.  We love those in our family (Gods family) and respect those who are not.   This verse 17, says soo much in how we deal with the world and with our family of fellow Jesus believers.  RESPECT NON BELIEVERS, LOVE BELIEVERS.  RESPECT IS ALSO SHOWING THE LOVE OF JESUS.  WE DO LOVE THOSE WHO ARE WORLDLY, BY TELLING THEM OF THEIR SIN AND SHARING JESUS, THIS IS LOVE BECAUSE WE DONT WANT THEM TO GO TO HELL.  WE WANT TO SEE EVERYONE IN HEAVEN WITH US.  THAT IS LOVE, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO BURN.