The Response To Our Salvation: Holy Living 1 Peter 1:13-16 Introduction

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1 Introduction My mother had the impossible task of keeping five kids clean in the middle of the Mojave desert. There are strong pulls on a young child to stay dirty. How do we stay pure; how do we remain clean when we live in a world where impurity invades our senses; cooperates with corrupt thinking and selfish living? In the first chapter of 1 Peter we have been introduced to a group of Christians, pilgrims who have fled a wave of persecution; Peter refers to them as strangers what we might call resident aliens in a foreign land. But the designation is not purely political; it is ideological, spiritual. The believers true citizenship was in heaven. Peter gives us a description of how believers should live in a hostile world. Peter urges the believers to live in hope (vv.3-12); and now Peter urges the believers to live in holiness (vv.13-21). The hope we have as believers is found in our real relationship and friendship with Jesus. Peter has talked about the source of our salvation; we are chosen by the Father; made Holy by the Holy Spirit and we are cleansed by the blood of the Son (vv.1-2). Peter has encouraged the Saints that our salvation is guaranteed; the proof; and the permanence and the power having been demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus; our salvation kept in heaven; God s mighty power being the guarantee that we will arrive safely in heaven (vv.3-5). Peter has spoken not only of the source of our salvation and the guarantee of our salvation; but also the joy of our salvation (vv.6-9); joy in the middle of trial, joy when our world is being threatened by trials, troubles, and tribulations. Joy in the knowledge that trials increase our faith in God (v.7); and increase our love for God (vv.8-9). The salvation we have was recorded by the prophets and generates cosmic attention and interest by the angels (vv.10-12). Now Peter transitions into the longest section in this epistle. He moves from the theme of hope to the theme of holiness; how do we remain clean; how do we stay pure; how do we conduct ourselves in the here and the now? How does a mother keep a child clean when she lives in a world filled with dirt? A lot of water, a lot of soap, and a lot of towels. How does the Saint maintain some measure of purity, how do we remain unsoiled and unstained in a world completely soiled and stained? Peter suggests we focus on the glory of God (v.13); and the holiness of God (vv.14-15); and the Word of God (v.16). This portion of Peter s passage tells us to center our lives on grace and salvation (v.13); concentrate on obedience (v.14) and focus on holiness (vv.15-16). Holiness is such a strange and foreign concept even in the church; that we must give at least some explanation. Imagine describing to a mother who lives in a dirty desert, soap. Jerry Bridges writes; To be holy is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin and therefore, consecrated to God. The word signifies separation to God, and the conduct befitting those so separated. 1

2 Our Response: We Center On Grace And Salvation (v.13) 1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV) Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; The expression gird up the loins is a literal translation of an ancient Eastern expression. In the ancient world men and women wore robes. When people needed to travel quickly they would hike up their skirt and tie it off at the waste. In the ancient world when you needed to begin a journey or travel quickly you would gird up the loins. The expression means prepare your minds for action (NIV). In the English speaking world we say; Take off your coat and roll up your sleeves. This is Peter s way of saying; the task at hand will require you to be mentally alert; morally disciplined, and spiritually focused. In speaking of the source of our salvation; and the security of our salvation, and the joy of our salvation, and the Old Testament Theme of Salvation; and the Angel s preoccupation with our salvation; the letter shifts from information; to transformation. Peter has given us the facts; and now that we know those facts we are given commands. Prepare your minds for action! Be sober. Rest your hope fully or completely or without reservation upon the grace that is brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). Our minds, our thinking, our thoughts are the battlefield where the war is fought for the way in which we will live our lives. We must be prepared to think differently about this world and its philosophy. Philippians 2:15 (NKJV) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, We as Christians are not called to isolation (withdrawing from the world in the hopes that none it rubs off on us); but we are to shine as lights in the world. Jesus prayed in John 17:14; I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Insulation-- keep them from the evil one. When we speak of the world we are not talking about the physical globe; we are speaking a worldview or a worldview philosophy. A worldview is the way we look at the world. Everyone has a worldview. James W. Sire writes; A worldview is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true, or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic makeup of our world (The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog). The world resists and opposes the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. The world resists and opposes God s plan for righteousness and holiness. No wonder the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2

3 2:15-17; Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Again--John is not speaking of rainbows and rock formations and roller-coaster rides! John is not speaking of Astronomical phenomena or the metamorphosis of a butterfly. John continues...for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, bust is from the world, And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. The world like dirt is designed to make us dirty. The world puts forth a kind of fatal attraction; we are designed by God to know God and worship God; but human beings apart from God and in sin are hopelessly attracted to fame, and fortune, and pleasure, and self. Kenneth Wuest writes about the World apart from God; Kosmos refers to an ordered system. Here it is the ordered system of which Satan is the head, his fallen angels and demons are his emissaries, and the unsaved of the human race are his subjects...much of the this world-system is religious, cultured, refined, and intellectual, But it anti-god and anti-christ....this world of unsaved humanity is inspired by the spirit of the age,...which Trench defines as follows: All that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims,aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitutes a most real and effective power, being the moral, or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale. This is the world system to which John refers. Think carefully; the world s philosophy is to provide answers apart from the revelation of God; and the person of Jesus Christ. When they ask and answer the questions; what is real, is there a God (god); where did we come from, why are we here; the world still holds on to a different hope; a life apart from God, or at least the God of the Bible. The pull of the world is strong, powerful; it is every bit as powerful as gravity; it is invisible, relentless; never absent, never passive. Until you realize just how powerful the pull is; you will never understand the passion or the meaning behind Peter s exhortation. Peter is in effect saying; this is not the time to kick back and relax. This is not the time to say whatever will be will be. This is not the time to embrace this world or its philosophy. Prepare your mind. Be sober. Fix your hope. The addictions and intoxications are there to cloud your thinking; and numb your resolve. The fact of salvation produces the fruit of salvation; hope. We are born again to a living hope (v.3). Hope in the Bible is not vague or indefinite; but is in fact a work of grace by the Holy Spirit and has unmistakable power. We might think about hope as the Holy Spirit s revelation about the future. That revelation informs our thinking; our attitude; our feelings. Remember faith is focused on on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Faith fixes its attention on Jesus; the person who makes the promise; hope fixes itself on the promise. Faith looks up; hope 3

4 looks forward; faith accepts, hope expects; faith appropriates; hope anticipates (see WH Griffith Thomas; p.159). In verse 13 we see the meaning of hope; and the duty of hope. What do I mean by duty? Hope is a positive command; it is not a matter of the emotions but of the will. Obedience does not demand that you feel like obeying. The meaning of hope and the duty of hope and the power of hope brings fruition; Jesus will return. Jesus will come back. A perfect hope must be marked by (1) certainty; (2) continuity; the certainty is the foundation, the adequate warrant or basis for which a thing is hoped; the continuity is our constant response to this wellgrounded hope (again see WH Griffith Thomas; his notes p.160). Hope builds a bridge to holiness. Peter writes; be sober but this sobriety is not limited to the absence of alcoholic influences. This sobriety is meant to extend to all the things; what the ancient writers called stupefactions of all kinds. Whatever gets you high; whatever excites you; whatever things you indulge in; that break your concentration, or your ability to think clearly about things. Peter is making a reference to anything that will distract you from the task at hand. Sobriety is not simply the absence of the drug or the intoxicant; it means sobriety of both belief and behavior. It is the opposite of self-indulgence; whether eating or drinking, or recreation or whatever. It means to live a sober, solid, Spirit-controlled life. Children inherit the nature of their parents. We as children of God have inherited His divine nature. We are called to follow in Christ s footsteps. Outlook determines outcome; attitude determines action (Wiersbe). Peter reminds the believer of God s glory; the glory of God motivates our present behavior. We center ourselves on the grace of God; we focus on salvation; we remain mentally alert; morally disciplined, spiritually focused--in light of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter does not simply want to issue moral commands but explain those commands. How do we reflect God s character? How do we make the Lord Jesus Christ our priority and follow God s commands? We set all our hope fully on the grace to be given at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. We change our minds so that God s plans become our plans. We adjust our life-styles to glorify God; and we persevere in trial, trouble, tribulation, persecution and difficulty. Jesus is Coming. We have different goals because we have a different future. Our Response: We Concentrate On Obedience (v.14) 1 Peter 1:14 (NKJV) as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; How do we connect hope and holiness? Hope produces holiness. Holiness strengthens hope. We are obedient children. In the ancient world children were taught from an early age to imitate their parents. In what way are we obedient? We refuse to conform (fashion) ourselves to the former lusts; which we embraced in our ignorance. These are the things we did because we were ignorant of God and of Christ. What were the things, what were the activities they kept you impure? The list is endless; drugs or alcohol, food, sleep, recreation, sex, clothing, possessions, position, recognition, authority, power, pornography, vehicles, relaxation, etc. 4

5 The expression obedient children means obedience becomes the central trait, the defining trait, of the that person. We are saved. We can now live differently. We are free to obey God. The contrast is the Child of desire. People apart from Christ can be described as people of desire. The child of desire obeys those desires, indulges those desires; not Christ, not God, not God s word. What are those desires? What are those lusts? Money, sex, popularity, authority, possessions, food, recognition, houses, cars, property, position, clothing etc. Human beings apart from God are largely ignorant of God. Whatever excites a person, or gives that person a sense of meaning or purpose, that is what enslaves the person. The result is either obsession or emptiness. A person becomes dominated by lust, or else is left in despair and discouragement; because the lust--now matter how powerful or strong fails to satisfy. Peter s argument; children inherit their parents nature; we should live holy lives because God is holy. Ignorance leads to indulgence; unsaved people lack spiritual wisdom, discernment which causes them to indulge every crazy desire. We would still be in that sad circumstance if not for the grace of God in Jesus Christ. But God is not far, not distant, not far away. God has revealed Himself in the person and work and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The world and its lusts no longer control the believer s life. Weigh the cost of disobedience and weigh the cost of obedience. Ancient unsaved writers knew wicked men obey from fear; good men from love (Aristotle). James told his readers do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22). Albert Barnes wrote; It does not require great learning to be a Christian and be convinced of the truth of the Bible. It requires only an honest heart and a willingness to obey God. The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect, but obedience (Oswald Chambers). Our Response: We Converge On Holiness (vv.15-16) 1 Peter 1:15 (NKJV) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, The word conduct is the Greek word anastrophe. Peter is fond of this word using it 8 times (1:15; 18; 2:12; 3:1,2, 16; 2 Peter 2:7; 3:11); out of the 13 times in occurs in the NT (see Gal. 1:13; Eph.4:22; 1Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:7; James 3:13). The word literally means the turnings about of life; hence conduct (NKJV and RSV) or behavior (NASB) or all you do (NIV). Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image. Rudeness, yellings, anger and swearing are a weak man s imitation of strength. Our pattern is the Lord Himself. God requires conformity to His character. Holy (hagios) means to be righteous, pure, sinless, and godly; perfect, complete, fulfilled in every possible sense of the word. We are set apart and different; because God is different; and the Lord God in our lives makes us different. Our focus and priority is drawn not from our likes our dislikes, our desires or doubts, or disappointments, our focus and desire is captured in Christ, a Christ centered life. Someone 5

6 once said that a Christ-centered life is like a good watch: open face, busy hands, pure gold, and full of good works! We have already been declared holy by God because of our love for, faith in and hope in Christ. Now its time to work out our family ties. We think differently, we behave differently, we live our lives differently than the world around us. Our holiness is not some self-induced, self-deluded, list of rules and regulations, it means our lives and our character is in the process of being conformed to and reflected by the life and character of our Lord Jesus Christ. Holiness means that all parts of our lives and character are in the process of being conformed to Jesus, informed by the Bible, both on the inside or our character and on the outside by our conduct. The standard is God s holy character; the standard is God s revelation of truth. 1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV) because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. Peter quotes the Old Testament Scripture. Some have suggested that Peter quotes the Old Testament Scripture because of the Jewish reader s familiarity with the Old Testament revelation. That might in part be true. The passage is taken from Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 11:44-45 (NKJV) For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.45for I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. The command applied to the Old Testament believers; but now Peter declares that the same command applies to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews were a chosen nation. But now God was choosing people from among the nations; for a chosen people. The root idea of holiness is separation; the reference has more to do with position than condition. The key concept is consecration. A holy person belongs to God. The Temple was called the holy place because it belonged to God. The Temple was the place set apart, devoted to God. Our modern idea of purity comes from the consequence of being separate, set apart for God. We might think of the idea of immunity rather than community. We think of seclusion rather than inclusion. What is the height of holiness? God s nature. What is the width of holiness? all manner of living (nothing good is excluded). Consider how narrow holiness is (v.14); not conforming yourself to anything evil. Everything evil is excluded. What do you think about when you read this verse? You may think what I thought when my mother said, You are clean. Stay clean. What do you think about when hear the command be holy? Do you think about moral superiority? Do you think about a judgmental spirit? Do you think about non-participation in the pleasures of this world? 6

7 Most churches are reluctant to teach; separate yourselves from sin. My advice know God, love God, understand and embrace His love and His attributes; you will never come to the place where you truly hate sin; unless you are first willing to come to the place where you truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. Jonathan Edwards was right; The more a Christian hates sin, the more he desires to hate it. Conclusion We are to be holy in an unholy world. But thank God we have been given water, soap and towels. The Holy Spirit is willing to give us wisdom and power, guidance in making good and godly decisions. We can pray for help and expect to receive help when our lives get off track; when we compromise God s standards. Separation from sin does not mean separation from life; or separation from joy. C.S. Lewis wrote; It is when we notice the dirt that God is present in us. Nothing can make a man truly great but being truly good and partaking of God s holiness Matthew Henry Holiness is not something we are called upon to do in order that we may become something; it is something we are to do because of what we already are M. Lloyd Jones AW Tozer wrote sadly; We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing. 7