And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (20) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (21) who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Our verses today come from the first letter of Peter, apostle and eyewitness to the risen Lord – they tell us that In faith, in Christ, we have a special relationship to God by virtue of our calling from slaves dead to physical and spiritual life to new birth and life by the grace of God. In ancient times there were slaves, freemen and freed men. There were many reasons for slaves – war, bankruptcy, sale of themselves, by parents or by birth. The ransom price could be provided by someone else. The death of Christ was/is substitutionary and freed us from the spiritual bondage of sin. Peter emphasizes the freedom from previously sinful lifestyles to changed and holy lifestyles.

To live a holy lifestyle isn’t automatic; we are to love/live carefully, focused in purpose, fighting against the pull of the world. We should be holy because God is holy. He will know our lives and judge every motive of our hearts. For those not redeemed by Christ they are still in bondage to sin and death. The imagery goes back to the beginning of people on earth – warned by God if they sinned they would die. This would be physical and spiritual death and alienation from God. God knew from all eternity who was to be Messiah but the particular and personal declaration of Him was reserved until now, at the last times (times of the gospel). In Christ we are no longer alienated from God who judges our stay here on earth – earth is not the home of the faithful.

The Jews derived from the traditions of their elders by which they made the law of God of no effect with a variety of corrupt principles and practices. In like manner Gentiles derived their idolatry from the teaching and examples of their fathers. In sharp contrast, the Messiah was known from the foundation of the world but was manifest only in Christ. Christ Jesus was raised from the dead confirming doctrine, procuring for the faithful the indwelling Spirit and assuring us of our resurrection. Believers are reconciled to God through Christ.