But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,

and always be ready to give an answer to everyone

who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,

with meekness and fear.

The Apostle Peter encourages us to sanctify God in our hearts. How should we sanctify Him? Especially in interior prayer, where we talk to Him, listen to Him and ask Him to help us know and do His holy will in specific situations.

The Apostle then says that we should be ready to give an answer to everyone. But no one will ask us unless we apostolize. We must be ready to witness. In prayer we must ask God to whom we should witness, how we should witness and when we should witness. Then we have to overcome some shyness and take the first step ourselves. Strategic is the word first (Gr. proton). If we are to remove the speck from our brother’s eye, we must first judge ourselves. Similarly, when our brother has something against us, we must first take the step of reconciliation, even if we are not aware of any guilt. When we do this, only then will our eyes be opened. This is a special spiritual law.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light,

we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

What does it mean to “walk in the light”?

What does it mean to “have fellowship with one another”?

… if we walk in the light …

1. What must you do to walk in the light? Jn 8:12

2. What is true of a person who is not walking in the light? 1Jn 1:6

Beloved, if God so loved us,

we also ought to love one another.

When you say the word “love”, what especially young people imagine is de facto fornication, impurity, even homosexuality. All of this is thrown together into one bag labeled “love”. It is in fact anti-love, egoism and perversity. It is unfortunate that many world languages only have one expression for the word “love”.

The Scripture here talks about the God’s love, pinnacle of humility, pinnacle of suffering, pinnacle of self-sacrifice. Greek language uses three expressions for love and we need to be aware of it. “Agapé” is a selfless love for God. Jesus asks Peter: “Agapas me?” Do you love Me with divine love? Peter replies: “Filo se.” I love you with a human love. “Filia” is the second term for love. It is love for parents, siblings, or nation. The term “eros” means carnal love, associated with sexuality, and such love is exclusive to man and woman who have duly entered a holy matrimony, because it is related to the giving of life, raising children and thus sacrificing oneself for the future posterity.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

What is walking by faith?

What is walking by sight?

For we walk by faith…

1. Why is faith necessary? Heb 11:6

2. How does faith grow? Rom 10:17

3. Paul based his faith upon ……………………… Acts 27:25

4. What must accompany your faith?

As many as are led by the Spirit of God,

these are sons of God.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

Who is led?

Who does the leading?

What does being led indicate?

…as many as are led by the Spirit of God…

1. What are some other names for the Holy Spirit? Rom 8:9

2. Whom does the Holy Spirit glorify? Jn 16:13-14

3. What should be your response to the Holy Spirit? Gal 5:16

4. What do you have to do to live according to the Spirit? Rom 8:5

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word

of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you

an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

What is God’s Word able to do?

Why is the Bible called “the Word of His grace”?

…I commend you to God and to the Word…

1. How should you regard the Bible? 1Thess 2:13

2. What did Jesus say about the Word? Jn 17:17

I am the vine, you are the branches.

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;

for without Me you can do nothing.

(Review 1Jn 1:9, 5:11f; Jn 16:24; 1Cor 10:13; Prov 3:5-6)

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

Who is the vine? Who are the branches?

What relationship do you see between a branch and a vine?

How is the relationship between a branch and vine similar to the Christian and Christ?

…abides in Me, and I in him…

1. What should be the primary objective of every believer? Mt 6:33

2. What will be true of your life if you are abiding in Christ? 1Jn 2:6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to Him,

and He will make your paths straight.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

What three things are you told to do?

When these conditions are met, what are you promised?

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART …

1. What can you trust God to do for you? (Ps 32:8)

2. Read Romans 12:1-2.

• What steps should be taken to experience God’s will?

• How is God’s will described?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful

and just to forgive us our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

What does God want you to do about your sins?

What does it mean to “confess a sin”?

In His act of forgiving us, how is God described?

What else does God do when you confess your sins?

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS …

1. What should you recognize about yourself? (1Jn 1:8-10)

Until now you have asked nothing in My name.

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions according to it:

What is prayer?

In whose name should you pray?

What results from prayer?

UNTIL NOW YOU HAVE ASKED NOTHING IN MY NAME …

What does Jesus teach about prayer in Matthew 7:7-8? …………………………….

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,

and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life;

he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Think about the word of life and answer these questions:

Who gives eternal life?

Where is eternal life found?

Who has eternal life?

Who does not have eternal life?

The word of life is followed by this verse: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1Jn 5:13)

No temptation has overtaken you except such

as is common to man; but God is faithful,

who will not allow you to be tempted beyond

what you are able, but with the temptation will also make

the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

This word of life is preceded by a reminder not to grumble and then the apostle’s insistence: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Then follows the word of life: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man…” And then a warning against idolatry: “I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

“Nor grumble, as some of them did

and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

Concerning the sin of grumbling against God, the apostle Paul recalls an event that occurred after the Israelites miraculously crossed the Red Sea. Then they could immediately enter the land God had promised them. It was the land their fathers came out of when they descended into Egypt 430 years earlier. Now they were to return there. God promised to be with them and to overcome the pagan nations. Moses sent spies into the land to find out the details so that he could determine exactly how to proceed in taking the land. However, when the spies returned, they put a terrible fear into the people. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, reassured the people, “We will enter this land flowing with milk and honey. The Lord will give us this land, trust in Him.” But the Israelites were so strong in their spirit of fear that they even wanted to rebel against Moses and stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses therefore cried to the Lord in prayer, and God spoke to him, saying, “How long will this wicked community grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

For the time will surely come when

I will punish the idols of Babylon;

her whole land will be disgraced

and her slain will all lie fallen within her.

This verse is preceded by the words: “I will punish Bel (Pachamama) in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall.” And the prophet cries out: “Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord. Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumours are heard in the land; one rumour comes this year, another the next, rumours of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.” And now follows the verse we reflect on: “For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.”

What are the idols of Babylon? Bergoglio himself enthroned the Pachamama demon and dedicated himself to Satan under the guidance of a sorcerer in Canada as a precedent. This spirit of paganism has gradually turned the holy city into the harlot of the antichrist – pagan Babylon.

The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her.

The prophet Jeremiah, especially in the last chapters, prophesies against Babylon. But there is also a historical Babylon mentioned in Genesis 1. It speaks of the pride of man wanting to build a great tower. The name Babel or Babylon means confusion. God confused the speech of these proud builders and scattered them throughout the earth.

In the 1st millennium BC, the nation of Israel was like between two millstones. One was the Babylonian Empire and the other was Egypt. The prophets, whether Isaiah, Jeremiah, or others, very often made pronouncements against Babylon. According to Gen 10:6-10, Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, founded the city of Babylon. The city grew greatly, but was completely destroyed in the revolt against Assyria in 683 BC. It was later rebuilt on both sides of the Euphrates. The name itself signified to the Old Testament prophets the anti-God power that controls the world. It is a demonic power that will rise up against God in the last days.

For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to be sin,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This verse is preceded by related verses, beginning with verse 14: “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”