Invest in your faith by study and prayer time, alone-time with God.

"we have been awakened to a lively hope"

A dose of the pursuit of perfection in the good book:                         

"...that which you see to, see to well...."                                                

if you hope, "be prepared to give a reason for your hope..." 

We are after all, not just the "salesmen of the Gospel", but also clients of the Lord, and thus, we have our own relationship with God to maintain.

Paul explains that our own lack of effort on the backend, in establishing and being able to argue for our faith, is a way of embarrassing the Gospel.

If we get out there and get flustered or stammer, or even in frustration lash out in anger, we have embarrassed the Gospel for our own selfish reasons.

As they say, "we have been awakened to a lively hope", and with "gentleness and respect", we can "give a reason for our hope".

-Invest in your faith by study and prayer time, alone-time with God.  

As they say, "we have been awakened to a lively hope", and with "gentleness and respect", we can "give a reason for our hope".

In the modern translations, 1 Peter 3:15, we are exhorted to share the message, spread the message with others, but to defend the faith and share with "gentleness and respect."

It's a boon to have something greater than this world to hope for, something more intangible and immeasurable--

-this something, salvation, is called riches in the pages of the New Testament---

-God's love, also, is referred to as riches in the NT.

scriptural readings:

1 Corinthians 7

Ephesians 2

Psalm 21 

Asceticism, self-denial in a narrow way towards righteousness. "Righteous conduct."

According as God hath chosen us in him....

we should be holy and without blame before Him, in love....

-Ephesians 1:4

Paul is making the case for righteousness in personal conduct, being "without blame"--that this is a way of honoring God everyday.

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats:

but God shall destroy both it and them.

Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord;

and the Lord for the body.

-1 Corinthians 6:13

We see the sentiment extended to diet, or at diet as a metaphor, and sexual abstinence, ascetism or complete self-denial, as a neat way of avoiding any potential blameful situation.  Of course, the easiest manner of never being in a sexually impure or compromising situation is to entirely avoid fornication of any sort.

We see the concept of "lifestyle Christians" mentioned around, used as a condemnation of people who see the faith as a routine or program instead of faith, awe and love.  I've seen various sorts, on my own, and even from time to time probably have tried it in my own life.  

There are people that live quite, peaceful lives, never reaching out to others.  In comparable silence, they observe their diet, their personal dress, and other aspects through the lens of a laymen's asceticism/monasticism.

I offer no particular condemnation; if those aspects that they are so concerned about dictate so much attention and focus, they should observe it.  In fact, the rigid enterprise of trying to attain righteousness on Earth would seem to require a lot of effort for "old sinner's saved by Grace".

It takes a lot of effort, a mindful kind of self-appraisal, constantly, to purge sinful, destructive things from one's life-

-Christ said it was a Narrow Way, like lives of service in the secular world, requiring a devotion and selflessness that often goes in contrary to our natural instincts.

However--

we've got a little extra something to hold to, as we attempt or endeavor in our daily lives:

...he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

having made known unto us the mystery of His will...according to his purpose..

Ephesians 1:8-9

We have the love of God, and the example of Christ-

-how much they would do for us, how much they did for all so long, ago. 

giving thanks and praying for you, from Col 1.

"...that ye may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding...."

In the "elegant" King James Version:

Colossians 1:3-8 is a whopping 128 word single sentence that expresses love and wishes for the Colossian believers.  Colossians 1:9-17 is also a single sentence at an even more impressive 194 words! 

Therein, Paul expresses his hopes for the Colossian believers and in so many words expresses the need for the Gospel, how to become saved, and the fruits of belief, and does both pretty much TWICE in two long statements, "pillar to post", respectively, 128 and 194 words.

"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit."  

-Colossians 1:3-8 KJV (128 words- pillar to post)

Likewise, I give thanks for the body of believers, especially, along with the sum total of mankind.  God is good to us all, and in faith we are bolstered in our times of need.  God's mercy and wisdom to you all as we finish-out this week in the various things that occupy us, and a measure of faith to you all, for your good.