Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Devotions: The Blessings of Imitation

If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
1 Peter 4:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)


This verse is almost identical to other verses I have already covered, but it carries a promise that is so beautiful I thought it worth repeating. Being reviled (hated, loathed, despised) is not something anyone wants to encounter. But we must remember that when we are reviled for our faith that it is His Name which is being reviled, not us. They are hating what they see of Him in us. We should also remember that they did worse to Him, and if they didn’t hate us, that would be proof that they don’t see Him in us. That very act of hate toward us is reassurance that we are imitating Christ. But we must be careful that what they hate is true Christ-likeness and not our own arrogance or prejudice. There are many Christians who are hated because they are unloving or hateful themselves. But if we are hated because of our faith and godliness then we are blessed because the Spirit of God is on us. We carry God in us, who is actively and continually working to perfect us and make us like Him. We carry in us proof of our reward to come, hope of the glory of God in eternity. Take heart! Remember the goal and glory awaiting us and for Whom you suffer, and be blessed!

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