The Word of God

Peter penned these words, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the church scattered throughout various locations. They were the chosen of God “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood” (v. 1-2).

The sanctifying work of the Spirit was in purifying their hearts and minds in delivering them out from under their bondage (addiction) to sin, so that they would be holy, being transformed by God into his likeness of nature, no longer to be like the world, but different from the world because they were being conformed to the ways of God. And this was to result in them obeying Jesus Christ and our Lord’s New Covenant commands, in daily practice.

And they did obey the Lord and the truth of his word. And in obedience to the truth they purified their souls for a sincere love of their fellow Christians. And the New Testament Scriptures speak much on that subject and how we who profess faith in Jesus Christ are to be those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, deny self, die to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and in the power and wisdom of God.

Then there was a command for them to “fervently love one another from the heart.” And this was a friendship and a family type of love with morally proper affection for one another within the body of Christ, which we are also to have for our fellow followers of Christ, where we care about one another, and we care what happens to our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we want what is best for them and to do for them what is for their good.

For they had been born again, not of human flesh, which is perishable, but from seed which is imperishable, through the living word of God. They had been born again of the Spirit of God by faith in Jesus Christ which results in us dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in his power. For that is our only path to genuine salvation from sin and eternal life with God. No human methods and doctrines of salvation will ever save us from our sins, purify our hearts, and give us eternal life with God.

For all that is of the flesh, and which is produced by human flesh, will perish. And that includes these modern day “gospel” presentations which deny the gospel taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles because they deny his plan of salvation which requires that we deny self, die to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. So if you are believing that God does not require such things of you, and that a profession of faith only will secure you eternal life with God, then please study the Scriptures.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You


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The Word of God
An Original Work / October 28, 2025
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