December 21
I Peter 1:3-9
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A New Lease On Life
by William "Bill" E. Mearse
At times, you hear about someone receiving a new lease on life. This idiom, dating back to the early 1800’s, originally referenced a fresh start after recovering from an illness but has evolved to mean a second chance after experiencing failure or hardship. Today we discover Christmas represents more than a new lease on life but a new life.
Our scripture today begins by blessing God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who provides the opportunity to have a new life. The genesis of this spiritual rebirth reflects His unlimited MERCY integrated with His unconditional LOVE and His unmerited GRACE that transforms the lives of those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
This faith ensures a certain future of living hope, not wishful thinking, created by the resurrected Jesus Christ who promises and prepares a personal inheritance for us in heaven. While this world focuses on planned obsolescence and limited shelf life, our inheritance never perishes and never diminishes, remaining sustainable for all eternity protected by the power of God until His final revelation of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
Evidence of our faith materializes while experiencing trials during our lives. The source, nature and timing of trials often prove inconsistent and unpredictable causing undue personal stress. Faith demonstrates value by providing us the necessary perseverance and perspective not only to endure and overcome these trials, but also to allow us to rejoice while praising, glorifying and honoring God during the process.
Faith engages our whole being as we believe in Jesus Christ intellectually with our mind and love Jesus emotionally in our heart, while our soul experiences inexpressible joy and the full glory of God. Our faith remains genuine not by seeing Jesus today but by experiencing His daily touch in our lives and knowing we will see Him in Heaven.
During the Christmas season, people often search for a new lease on life when what they really need is a new life. A new lease on life only provides temporary relief while a new life proves eternal with Jesus Christ who became a new life on Christmas to purchase, rather than lease, our lives on the Cross and to rise again so we can experience everlasting new life with Him.
About the Author
William "Bill" E. Mearse
Bill Mearse, B.B.A. ’78, M.B.A. ’79, serves as a board member, investor and advisor. Currently Chair of the Baylor University Board of Regents, Bill also participates on boards for Baylor College of Medicine, Banda Health and Memorial Assistance Ministries (Emeritus).
His career spanned more than 33 years at Accenture. As Resources Chief Operating Officer, Bill focused on the oil & gas, chemical, utilities, mining and metals industries representing $5+ billion in revenues. As Senior Managing Director of the Houston office, Bill also provided oversight of local initiatives related to market development, community service and employee engagement for more than 1,200 employees.
Bill is a native Texan from Abilene who graduated from Baylor University earning BBA and MBA degrees. Bill and his wife, Tanya, attend Second Baptist Church where Bill serves as a deacon and teaches adult Bible study.