1 Peter 1:17-25: a reflection

17If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear, 18knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ, 20who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake, 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God. 22Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently, 23having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever. 24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls; 25but the Lord’s word endures forever.” This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.

Peter reminds us of the costliness of our redemption, that we were ransomed not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, and calls us to live in light of so costly a redemption. You were redeemed, Peter writes, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your empty way of life, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ. Our redemption did not cost silver or gold, precious as those are; it cost the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, his very life given for us. And in light of so costly a redemption, Peter calls us to live in reverent fear, as those ransomed at such a price. This shows the costliness of our redemption by the precious blood of Christ, and how it should shape our living. You were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, not by perishable things. Our redemption cost not silver or gold, but Christ's own life. Live in light of so costly a redemption. Let the price of your redemption shape how you live.

Notice what our redemption cost. Peter reminds us that we were ransomed, redeemed, bought back from our empty way of life, not with perishable things like silver or gold, precious as those are; but with something far more precious: the blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, his very life poured out for us. Our redemption was not cheap, not bought with money, but purchased at the greatest cost, the life and blood of Christ himself. And Peter draws a conclusion from this: that we should live in reverent fear, as those who have been ransomed at such a price. This is worth taking to heart. It is easy to hold our redemption cheaply, to forget or take for granted what it cost. But Peter reminds us: we were bought back not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, his very life. Such a costly redemption should shape how we live. Those who have been ransomed at so great a price do not live carelessly, or hold their salvation cheaply, or return to the empty way of life from which they were bought; they live in reverent gratitude, in a manner worthy of so costly a redemption, given wholly to the one who bought them at such a price. We do well to remember the costliness of our redemption, and to let the price Christ paid, his own precious blood, shape how we live. Remember that you were redeemed at the greatest cost, the precious blood of Christ. Do not hold cheaply what cost Christ his very life. Let the price of your redemption shape how you live. Live in reverent gratitude, worthy of so costly a redemption.

That is worth taking to heart, for we were redeemed at the greatest cost, the precious blood of Christ, and this should shape how we live, as Peter reminds us. We can hold our redemption cheaply and take it for granted; but Peter reminds us we were ransomed not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, his very life. Do not hold it cheaply. Remember what your redemption cost, the precious blood of Christ, and let it shape how you live, in reverent gratitude worthy of so costly a redemption. Remember the costliness of your redemption, that you were ransomed not with perishable silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, and let the price he paid shape how you live, as Peter reminded us we were redeemed not with corruptible things like silver or gold from our empty way of life but with the precious blood of Christ, calling us to live in reverent fear as those ransomed at such a price; for our redemption did not cost silver or gold, precious as those are, but the precious blood of Christ, his very life given for us, and in light of so costly a redemption Peter calls us to live in reverent fear, which is worth taking to heart, since it is easy to hold our redemption cheaply and forget or take for granted what it cost, but Peter reminds us we were bought back not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, his very life, so that such a costly redemption should shape how we live, since those ransomed at so great a price do not live carelessly or hold their salvation cheaply or return to the empty way of life from which they were bought, but live in reverent gratitude in a manner worthy of so costly a redemption, given wholly to the one who bought them, so that we do well to remember the costliness of our redemption and let the price Christ paid, his own precious blood, shape how we live.

Lord, Peter reminds me of the costliness of my redemption, that I was ransomed not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, and calls me to live in light of so costly a redemption. You were redeemed, Peter writes, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your empty way of life, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ. My redemption did not cost silver or gold, precious as those are; it cost the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, his very life given for me. And in light of so costly a redemption, Peter calls me to live in reverent fear, as one ransomed at such a price. Show me what my redemption cost. Peter reminds me that I was ransomed, redeemed, bought back from my empty way of life, not with perishable things like silver or gold; but with something far more precious: the blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb, his very life poured out for me. My redemption was not cheap, not bought with money, but purchased at the greatest cost, the life and blood of Christ himself. And Peter draws a conclusion: that I should live in reverent fear, as one who has been ransomed at such a price. This is worth taking to heart. It is easy to hold my redemption cheaply, to forget or take for granted what it cost. But Peter reminds me: I was bought back not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, his very life. Such a costly redemption should shape how I live. Those ransomed at so great a price do not live carelessly, or hold their salvation cheaply, or return to the empty way of life from which they were bought. Take that to my heart. Keep me from holding cheaply what cost you your very life; help me remember the costliness of my redemption, Lord, the precious blood of Christ, and let the price you paid shape how I live, in reverent gratitude worthy of so costly a redemption, given wholly to you who bought me.