Living In Holiness Series

Living In Holiness

Text: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Introduction

1. Illustration: A man flew into Chicago & hired a taxi to take him downtown. As he was riding along they came to a red light & the driver went right on through the red light. The man said, "Hey, the light was red. You’re supposed to stop." The driver said, "Yeah, I know, but my brother does it all the time." Soon they came to a second red light & again he went right straight through. The passenger said, "You’re going to get us killed. That light was red. Why didn’t you stop?" The driver said, "Don’t worry about it. My brother does it all the time." Then they came to a green light & he stopped. The man said, "The light is green. Now is the time to go. Why don’t you go on through?" The driver answered, "I know it’s green. But you never know when my brother may be coming through." Sometimes it seems as if all the world is going through on red & stopping on green. We’re constantly trying things that don’t work. But the Gospel works. Folks, the Gospel works.

2. The world we live in constantly says, "do your own thing!"

a. Do what feels good.

b. Do what works for you.

c. Do what you think is best.

3. However, Peter tells us the exact opposite. He says, "do what God wants you to do."

a. Don't follow the crowd.

b. Don't follow the desires of your selfish nature.

c. Be different.

d. Be separate.

4. According to Peter, this will be...

a. A matter of the will

b. A matter of difference

c. A matter of submission

5. Let's stand together as we read 1 Peter 1:13-16

Proposition: God calls us to become like Him more and more everyday.

Transition: Living in holiness requires making a decision. It is...

I. A Matter of The Will (13).

A. Prepare Your Minds For Action

1. Living in holiness requires making a decision to change.

2. Peter begins by saying, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action..."

a. The word, "therefore," ties what Peter has just said with what he is about to say.

b. Because we are living a strangers and aliens, because he has an inheritance that he is keeping and protecting for us, we should prepare are minds for action.

c. "Prepare your minds for action" translates an ancient image that literally reads, "gird up the loins of your mind."

d. This image is drawn from the ancient (and still modern for some in the Middle East) form of dress in which a man's long outer "shirt" draped down to his ankles, obviously preventing agile and quick motions and strenuous work.

e. As a result, when such actions were needed, a man tucked his shirt into his belt and thus "girded himself for action."

f. Peter applies the metaphor to mental behavior with the added word "of your minds."

g. Prepare your minds for action, refers to spiritual and mental attitudes.

h. To lead holy lives in an evil world, the believers would need a new mind-set.

i. They also needed to monitor and restrain their sexual and material desires, anger, and words.

j. Peter wanted the believers to remember that as they lived in the world, they needed to keep full possession of their minds and bodies so as not to be enticed away from God (Barton. Life Application New Testament Commentary, 1106).

k. Preparing your minds for action means making a decision that you are going to be different.

l. You are going to be different than the culture around you. You are no longer going to live to please yourself, but you are going to live to please God.

3. In addition, Peter says, "...be self-controlled..."

a. This image is drawn from the all-too-realistic world of drunkenness; drunks have no control over themselves or their body.

b. It connotes the entire realm of spiritual steadfastness or self-control: having clarity of mind and discipline of heart, being in charge of one's priorities and balancing one's life so as not to be subject to the controlling and corrupting influence of our sinful desires or the world around us (MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Peter, 65).

c. Peter's expression is metaphorical in that believers are to be totally in tune with God's plan in history, so much so that they set their hope on the future and live in light of that day.

d. People who look into the future and want to live completely in light of God's will do not want their eyes blurred by sin or other distractions (McKnight, The NIV Application Commentary – 1 Peter, 85).

4. After telling us to prepare our minds for action, and to make sure we are not out of control, he says, "...set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."