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Updated: Sunday, 11 May 2008, 23:33 (BST)

7 May 2008 | 1 Peter 2 v 18-25

Slaves, yield to the authority of your masters with all respect, not only those who are good and kind, but also those who are dishonest. A person might have to suffer even when it is unfair, but if he thinks of God and can stand the pain, God is pleased. If you are beaten for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for being patient in your punishment. But if you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased. This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did.

"He had never sinned, and he had never lied." (Isaiah 53:9)

People insulted Christ, but he did not insult them in return. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten. He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him. Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds. You were like sheep that wandered away, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your so

Notes

This passage is hard to understand as most of us have little or no experience of being a slave. I can recall saying to my children on the odd occasion "what did your last slave die of, overwork!" when they ask me to do something they could easily do themselves.



I guess my nearest experience of slavery is the demand that Jesus has on my whole life. My time, my money, my gifts, my priorities, my everything! As I try to live out the Christian life there are times when I am excited and energised as I see God moving and lives being transformed because God chooses to use me so graciously. I must also confess to you there are times when I do things that God requires grudgingly (my wife would even say grumpily).



I feel I have no choice: I am a slave to Christ because he has bought me with a price too high to ignore - his life! I am compelled to follow and to obey even when I don't really want to. Jesus showed me a way of self denial in order to fully follow God, and he is the one I must seek to imitate.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, in a world that proclaims looking after self as most important, help me to be prepared to deny myself and follow you, even when it hurts, so that your Kingdom will be more visible to those around me. Amen



Written by Phil Pusey - Burton Youth For Christ
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