Seven Critical Challenges for Living in This World (A Study of I Peter 2): Abstaining?

Some of you are aware that I’ve been engaged in a daily Bible reading program with my friend Frank in New Jersey for a couple of years or so. We choose a book of the Bible and read the same chapter each day for a week — then move on to the next chapter after that. Our procedure is quite simple and is explained here.

Well, I’ve started a small group of four men who are doing this kind of daily Bible reading and we’ve worked our way through Philippians and I Timothy, and are now going through I Peter. We drop each other a short email on Sunday about something we’ve learned in our reading together.

In reading through I Peter 2, I believe there are seven critical challenges that Peter gives us that are particularly relevant for us right now in our world. Here’s the third —

What in the world makes us believers think that all our desires have been purified at conversion?! No! We will battle “sinful desires” our whole Christian lives. And we are at great risk if we think otherwise!

This challenge is quite clear that we need to be urged to identify and to abstain from sinful desires. Is this referring to sinful desires outside ourselves? I don’t think so. These desires are at war — with our very souls!

We must take sin seriously, especially internal desires which sneak up on us and do battle against our very spiritual lives!

Today’s Challenge: Which internal “sinful desires” do you need to recognize and abstain from? Come on. Be honest. And, by God’s grace, choose abstinence as your weapon!