8. Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words
9. as you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith.
10. The prophets carefully researched and investigated this salvation. Long ago they spoke about God’s kindness that would come to you.
11. So they tried to find out what time or situation the Spirit of Christ kept referring to whenever he predicted Christ’s sufferings and the glory that would follow.
12. God revealed to the prophets that the things they had spoken were not for their own benefit but for yours. What the prophets had spoken, the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven, has now made known to you by those who spread the Good News among you. These are things that even the angels want to look into.
13. Therefore, your minds must be clear and ready for action. Place your confidence completely in what God’s kindness will bring you when Jesus Christ appears again.
14. Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better.
15. But because the God who called you is holy, you must be holy in every aspect of your life.
16. Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17. So if you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth in fear. He is the God who judges all people by what they have done, and he doesn’t play favorites.
18. Realize that you weren’t set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed.
19. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects or imperfections.
20. He is the lamb who was known long ago before the world existed, but for your good he became publicly known in the last period of time.