Servants,
This is addressed to slaves, but this can also be to all of us. We may not be slaves, but we may have a job working for a boss. Or even if we're self-employed or retired or otherwise, we are still to be servants to one another.
be subject to your masters with all respect,
Respect is something we really need to get back into our societies. As peoples we have focused so much on ourselves that we have lost that respect and admiration that is due to others of our race of Man, made in God's image.
not only to those who are good and gentle,
Of course we'll be nice to our friends who like us.
but also to those who are unreasonable.
How nice will we be to those who insult us or try to take advantage of us? Or maybe they just don't like us for some personal reason of their own?
For this finds favor,
Responding positively to a negative provocation is praiseworthy.
if for the sake of conscience toward God
It is our responsibility in God's eyes that we would be focused on.
a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
When we maintain our joy of the Lord and love for one another even when in the middle of an argument or trouble caused by someone else.
For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?
If you know you're in the wrong and admit it, you really haven't gained much, since you were wrong. It's only honest to admit it.
But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
But if you were in the right, and someone is slandering you or picking on you, or otherwise making your life miserable, and you don't strike back or get upset and let it ruin your day; that shows that you're leaning on God, and not just your own resources.
For you have been called to this purpose,
This is the kind of life God calls us to, to depend on the strength if His Spirit in us to maintain our equilibrium when our world is tilting and twirling around us.
since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
Jesus lived His life so graciously and generously, everyone loved Him, the children even flocked to Him; and yet He was tortured and executed as though He was a criminal. But He did not answer back or retort, but patiently took the mistreatment without complaint. For us, because we do deserve it.
Who
committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth (Isaiah 53:9);and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Isaiah had said that He would not have anything about Himself that would bring on the treatment He received; and while being mistreated, instead of lashing out at His torturers, He turned His attention upward, drawing strength to endure from His Father.
And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross,
Here it's laid right out--Jesus took our place in death as our personal Sacrifice, the Lamb who took the penitent's punishment in payment for his sins, on His altar, the Cross.
so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed (Isaiah 53:5).Because He died in our place, it's like we died there, so now we need to live as though we are dead to sin, not vulnerable to caving in to temptations like before; and able to choose the better, right choice, to do what is righteous and good.
Because He was wounded, we can be healed. We can see this in both a spiritual way and in a physical way. He physically was mortally wounded in our place, so when our bodies are in an injured or diseased condition, we may be healed physically.
We can always see this in a spiritual way, because His Blood sprinkled on the sides of the Cross, actually does wash us totally clean of every sin, every stain of sin, every shadow of a stain of sin--as though we'd never sinned at all. He cleanses us to be pristine, perfectly pure, so we're fit to live with Him in Heaven. This is the only way we would be able to live in His very presence where He lives, without being immolated by His Holiness.
For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Before we were saved, we constantly wandered off into various and sundry far fields, crags and ravines, "looking for love in all the wrong places." Completely lost, with no idea of what direction to go in. I know I was.
But I wanted to know the Truth. I knew there was something that I could trust to be reliable, so I could believe it. I didn't realize it, but I was looking for God, for Jesus. He is the Truth, and God is Love.
So when I got to the end of my searching, God was there! And He changed everything for me. Nothing around me changed, but He gave me new eyes, and I saw everything differently!
Since that day, I have been learning and growing in knowledge of God and His ways and who I am to Him. And I don't need to react to negative provocations like I did before. Sometimes I can even pause to remember that God's Spirit in me is tempering me, and I can reflect on how my response will be received by the hearer! I pray that I will get better at that.
O my Father, You are so good to all of us! Even though we are Your enemies, criminals who deserve to be executed, You Loved us and sent Your own Son to take Your wrath upon Himself that was due us!
We know how fierce Your wrath is, because You had recorded for our benefit how You destroyed whole societies who were destroying themselves in their rebellion against You. And how Your Son suffered. He didn't deserve any of it, we do; I do.
So because He took my death upon Himself, He gave me His Life! Both spiritual and physical. Now I can live my life alive! Now I can be aware of all Your blessings and gifts and provisions for everything I'll ever need. And I can avail myself of all the good health and material bounty You placed in this Earth for us to enjoy, as well as the emotional and spiritual well-being that You have given me in Your Holy Spirit of Life.
Father, help me to continue to get better at doing the good things You are teaching me to do. Strengthen me to continue to practice these attitudes and skills in all that I do each day. I know I have a long road ahead of me in these things, and I ask that You grant me the time to perfect my abilities to bless others and scatter Your good Seed, and to be a blessing to other people who are in my little world.
Enlarge my borders, that my world will include more and more who can benefit from Your blessings flowing through Your children.
Father, Jesus said that, This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a witness unto all Nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).
You want every person to hear and understand and have the opportunity to make an informed decision to accept or reject Your offer to them. You are not willing for any to perish, You love us too much for that. You want all to come to the repentance of admitting their culpability, and turn to You through Jesus.
Not all will, and You know this, too, but You will still give them the window of opportunity.
Father, send Your workers into Your fields that are ripe unto the harvest, and strengthen them and all Your children who are facing opposition and persecution.
Our enemy knows that his time is short, and is furiously at work killing, stealing, lying, deceiving, twisting, and in every way destroying the good You have done for us, and will attack every righteous thing to try to tear it down.
But He who is in us is so much greater than he that is in the World, and in His power and strength we will storm the very gates of Hell in taking back Your good for the promotion of Your Kingdom in us.
And soon You will send Your Son back into this realm, to finally defeat all the enemies, and set up His Kingdom here on this Earth, and we will finally have our Golden Age for that thousand years!
And every knee will bow in obeisance to Christ Jesus, our Sovereign King and Lord over all Creation, to the glory of God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
