The Living Bible (391 page)

1 Peter
4

Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power,
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 and you won’t be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires but will be anxious to do the will of God.
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 You have had enough in the past of the evil things the godless enjoy—sex sin, lust, getting drunk, wild parties, drinking bouts, and the worship of idols, and other terrible sins.
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 Of course, your former friends will be very surprised when you don’t eagerly join them anymore in the wicked things they do, and they will laugh at you in contempt and scorn.
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 But just remember that they must face the Judge of all, living and dead; they will be punished for the way they have lived.
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 That is why the Good News was preached even to those who were dead—killed by the flood
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—so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in their spirits as God lives.

    
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 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest, thoughtful men of prayer.
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 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults.
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 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay for the night.

    
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 God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.
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 Are you called to preach? Then preach as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies so that God will be glorified through Jesus Christ—to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

    
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 Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you.
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 Instead, be really glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed.

    
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 Be happy if you are cursed and insulted for being a Christian, for when that happens the Spirit of God will come upon you with great glory.
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 Don’t let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people’s affairs.
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 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being in Christ’s family and being called by his wonderful name!
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 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children. And if even we who are Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed in the Lord?
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 If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless have?

    
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 So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.

1 Peter
5

And now, a word to you elders of the church. I, too, am an elder; with my own eyes I saw Christ dying on the cross; and I, too, will share his glory and his honor when he returns. Fellow elders, this is my plea to you:
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 Feed the flock of God; care for it willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it but because you are eager to serve the Lord.
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 Don’t be tyrants, but lead them by your good example,
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 and when the Head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor.

    
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 You younger men, follow the leadership of those who are older. And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud.
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 If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up.

    
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 Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.

    
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 Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.
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 Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too.

    
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 After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever.
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 To him be all power over all things, forever and ever. Amen.

    
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 I am sending this note to you through the courtesy of Silvanus who is, in my opinion, a very faithful brother. I hope I have encouraged you by this letter, for I have given you a true statement of the way God blesses. What I have told you here should help you to stand firmly in his love.

    
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 The church here in Rome
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—she is your sister in the Lord—sends you her greetings; so does my son Mark.
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 Give each other the handshake of Christian love. Peace be to all of you who are in Christ.

Peter

2 Peter

1
 
2
 
3
 

2 Peter
1

From:
Simon Peter, a servant and missionary of Jesus Christ.

    
To:
All of you who have our kind of faith. The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us. How precious it is, and how just and good he is to give this same faith to each of us.

    
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 Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better.
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 For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!
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 And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

    
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 But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do.
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 Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you.
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 This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply.
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 The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
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 But anyone who fails to go after these additions to faith is blind indeed, or at least very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can live a strong, good life for the Lord.

    
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 So, dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then you will never stumble or fall away.
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 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

    
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 I plan to keep on reminding you of these things even though you already know them and are really getting along quite well!
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 But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered, and I am soon to die. As long as I am still here I intend to keep sending these reminders to you,
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 hoping to impress them so clearly upon you that you will remember them long after I have gone.

    
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 For we have not been telling you fairy tales when we explained to you the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. My own eyes have seen his splendor and his glory:
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 I was there on the holy mountain when he shone out with honor given him by God his Father; I heard that glorious, majestic voice calling down from heaven, saying, “This is my much-loved Son; I am well pleased with him.”

    
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 So we have seen and proved that what the prophets said came true. You will do well to pay close attention to everything they have written, for, like lights shining into dark corners, their words help us to understand many things that otherwise would be dark and difficult. But when you consider the wonderful truth of the prophets’ words, then the light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts.
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 For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God.