Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
You may have many great accomplishments on your resume—an outstanding athlete, a dazzling performer, an accomplished musician, a graduate of a highly respected educational institution, a leader of this or that, a native of Oklahoma (jealous, aren’t you)—but when it comes to your spiritual resume before Christ, forget the bullet points, italics, and pithy descriptions. One four-letter word is centered on the page— “DEAD!”
One of the amazing things about grace is that God chose us before “the foundation of the world.” He did not look down through the tunnel of time to see what kind of person we would be and then pick us for his team based on our future performance. God did not choose us because, in his omniscience, he knew that we would choose him. Fallen man does not seek God. This divine selection was based solely on God’s grace. And his choosing was for a purpose.
Tunch Ilkin was a fourteen-year veteran of the NFL, a three-time Pro-Bowler, and a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers All-time team. Not a bad resume. For years after his playing career, Tunch worked as a Steelers broadcaster and served as Director of Men’s Ministry at our church. As you might imagine, Tunch had some great stories.
In contrast to those who “disobey the word” of the gospel, Peter uses terms originally given to the nation of Israel to describe believers. Several of these terms are found in 1 Peter 2:9.
Suppose you are caught in a burning building. The fire has caused a fallen ceiling to block the only exit. Try as you might, you cannot escape. You are trapped without hope. Exhausted, you lie on the floor to wait for the inevitable. But then you hear an instrument pounding on the other side of the wall. Muffled voices are yelling for you to respond.