Fishing

This is the gospel—the good news of God.

We are born anew from above to a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This hope is that even if we suffer now we know we have held for us by God in heaven an inheritance that will be given to us in the end when Christ is revealed to the whole earth. So we have Joy in a faith that proves genuine when tested in the fires of suffering—something more precious than all the wealth this world offers.

For though we have not seen him and do not see him now we love him, believe in him, rejoice in him. Through that love we will obtain the salvation of our souls.

Therefore, preparing our minds for action, and being sober-minded, we should hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  We must be obedient people, for Jesus said to his disciples, “if you love me you will follow my commandments.”  We must stop acting like we did when we were ignorant of the good news of God’s grace, but as he who called us is holy, we should also be holy in all our conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

And if we call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, we should conduct ourselves with fear throughout our life on earth, knowing that we were saved from doing the pointless things that those in our culture do, not with worthless things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  God planned this before the foundation of the world, but it was made manifest in these last times for our sake as those who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that our faith and hope are in God.

We purify our souls through obedience for the sake of love so that we may love each other earnestly and truly from a pure heart, because we are made new and given a pure heart by the grace of rebirth given us by the undying word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

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