Dear GCI Family and Friends,
Courses in college are given numerical order. Introductory courses are typically labeled 101. These courses are a platform that sets the student for higher classes and deeper learning (class 201). In any course of study, getting the basics right is paramount for further education. This is true in the Christian life as well.
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ 1 Peter 1:13–16 NRSVA
“Therefore” means because of what came before. What came before this section of 1 Peter? God the Father has given us a living hope through his resurrected only begotten Son, Jesus. Jesus, who is our living hope, is the foundation upon which the entire structure is built and supported. We start with Jesus and rely on his sustaining strength. It is the basic tenet that holds up the individual Christian and the collective church Body.
Peter then instructs us on how to be prepared:
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- A mind ready for action, in the same way an athlete is dressed appropriately and thoughts are focused on the game at hand
- A sober mind that is set on the things of God and not the allurements of the world
- A confident hope that will reach all the way to the end of the age (a sure hope only sourced and sustained by Jesus)
Glad to hear from you. It seems I’m lost in the system somehow. At 73, I’m not good at remembering passwords anymore. The Berean Searchlight is delivered to me regularly. I didn’t know who was sending it until this week. Church of the Great God is the sender. I don’t know if they know that I was a member of the WCG. My father was a member until his death. He knew about the doctrinal changes & seemed to accept them, but I wasn’t sure if he really understood them. My pastor, Mel Dahlgren is in San Jose, CA. I’m in Missouri & haven’t stayed in touch with him. My family loved him though they weren’t much interested in going to church. May God bless you & help you.