Peace And Holiness Are To Be Our Spiritual Condition

 We are reminded that this world is not our home, and as guests in a foreign land, we will have to undergo the same sort of hostility the Lord Jesus endured, from sinners who opposed Him. But as God's blood-bought children, we are beloved of the Father Who disciplines those He loves so that we will be trained through the sufferings of this world, and afterwards enjoy the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
 Peace And Holiness Are To Be Our Spiritual Condition as well as our spiritual position. As His children we are already at peace with God because He forgave us our sins by grace through faith. But we are also to make every effort to maintain the inner peace of God that surpasses human understanding, by maintaining a mind that is stayed in Him.
 We are holy unto the Lord because we are set aside by God and positioned in heavenly places in Christ, and we are to be holy because the Lord our God is Holy. We are to be holy by setting ourselves apart for Him, as a living sacrifice: "Holy and acceptable unto the Lord," surrendering to Him in every corner of our lives and every attitude of our being, surrendered to Him for His praise and glory, through time and into eternity.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we have been redeemed, sanctified, and set apart by You, because we are Your blood-bought children. Our dear desires are that our lives are truly holy and set apart for You in thought, word, and deed. If possible, as far as it depends on us, we pray that we would live in peace with all people. Help us to keep the eyes of our hearts fixed on Jesus, and we pray that the lives that we now live in this body may reflect our heavenly position in Christ. In Jesus' name, AMEN.