God’s Elect
(I Peter 1:1-2)

The life we are living in the world is like that of strangers. Sometimes we have extreme cold and deep loneliness; sometimes with various dangers lurking, the path of life is tough. However, while going the rugged path of life, we need to remember one thing, which is our identity, that is, 'who we are’. We are the children of God who have been chosen according to God's great love. Knowing this clearly, we can live a victorious Christian life through various hardships.

1. The life of strangers
Apostle Peter refers to the saints who have been elected by God as 'strangers'. The life path of strangers is lonely and hard. But we are not alone. There is the one who accompanies us in this pilgrimage, who is Jesus Christ, our friend. He is always with us, cares for us who are exhausted, and touches us. So we are not a lonely stranger but a glorious one. Just as a stranger has a homeland to go back to, so do we have the homeland, the kingdom of heaven, which is waiting for us. Therefore, living with the hope of the kingdom of heaven, we must live a life to strive to reach godliness, not being obsessed with things of this world and giving thanks to the grace the Lord has given.

2. The work of God
While we are going hard path of life, there is one thing we Christians would obviously need to know. This is the fact that we are His children, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. In addition God has sanctified us by the Holy Spirit. Being sanctified means that we are separated from sin and the world. Clearly knowing that we are such precious ones, we should live a distinguished life, as God’s elected children.

3. The relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ
What kind of life are we supposed to live, who have been chosen and sanctified according to God’s great love? First, we must live a life of obedience to Jesus Christ. Imitating Jesus who obeyed God’s will and bore the cross, we should obey God’s will in every part of our lives. And we must live a life that relies on the power of the blood of Jesus Christ every day. As we rely on the blood of Jesus forgiving sins and conquering the devil, we will have a new strength and live a victorious life.

I bless you and pray in the name of the Lord that all of you will live a victorious life, clearly knowing who we are in this life path of strangers, obeying God on a daily basis, and trusting the blood of the Lord.