1 Peter 1 - Key

v8

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Sometimes we have heavy trials and temptations (v6). There's a way to still have great joy. That's by believing in Jesus.

Application

I want to have joy in hard times, so there are several ways I'll work to believe in Jesus and love Him more:

• fearing Him so I go away from sinning (v17)
• redeeming the time
• being serious about preaching the gospel and bringing people to Jesus (v25)

1 Peter 1 - Outline

v1-5

people who obey the faith have a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance

v6-8

many temptations can try our faith, but we can have great joy in our hope, as we believe and love Jesus

v9-12

we have salvation through the gospel that the prophets and angels tried to understand

v13-16

be sober, obedient, without lust, and holy

v17-21

fear the Lord because we were redeemed by His blood

v22-25

love each other, being born again from the important and eternal Word of God

don't go back

Ezekiel 24

v13

In thy filthiness [is] lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.

It says, "...I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged...". After we have repented from sin and the Lord has forgiven us, we must not go back to it.

Hebrews 1 - Key

v9

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

We should be like Jesus and love righteousness and hate iniquity.

Application

I'll remember that I'm supposed to hate sinning, and I'll work on doing that, hating sin.

Hebrews 1 - Outline

v1-3

God speaks now in a different way from in the past

v4-7

Jesus has been made much better than the angels

v8-12

Scripture quotations about how great Jesus is

v13,14

Who the angels are and what they do

stone, slay, and burn

Ezekiel 23

v47

And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

This is pretty serious judgment. But this chapter describes pretty serious sin. I remember a saying I thought up a little while ago, to tell myself in temptation.

If I sin, that would be the worst thing that could possibly happen.

as silver is melted in the furnace

Ezekiel 22

v22

As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.

The people of Israel had been doing very bad things. In Ezekiel 22 the Lord was letting them know what they had done wrong, and why He was going to punish them the way He was. They were committing idolatry, lewdness, violence, and taking bribes.

v26

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

We should make a clear distinction between what is holy, and sinful things. Everything we are and everything have, including our lives, our bodies, and our time, are supposed to be "holy", specially set apart for the Lord.