Practical Holiness Series

Based on I Peter 1:13-16 Peter is the Apostle of hope, and also the

Apostle of holiness. In the first half of this chapter his theme was hope.

Peter does not leave us perched on the high board of heavenly hope, however, but

plunges us immediately into the pool of the practical. The biblical

writers are almost always concerned with our present earthly life.

What good is hope that does not result in holiness? What good is

doctrine if it does not lead to duty? The Apostle Paul, after 11

chapters of doctrine begins the 12th chapter of Romans with these

words: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to

offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which

is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern

of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His

good, pleasing and perfect will.” All of those 11 chapters of doctrine

are worthless if it does not lead to a holy life. It is interesting to

notice that Peter and Paul used the same method. They first give the

basis for the Christian life and hope, and then they enter into the

practical.

Peter begins verse 13 with wherefore, which is the same as

Paul’s therefore. He is saying that since it is true that we have a

great hope, and that we are sure of an inheritance incorruptible and

undefiled that fades not away, let us live now as if what is to be

already is. Like Paul, he stresses two areas of our life that are to be

affected by our hope.

I. THE MENTAL LIFE. v. 13-14

Thought is important in the Christian life, for Scripture says,

“As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” We are what we think, and

if we think poorly we will live poorly, and we will communicate our

faith poorly. We are to be ready at all times to give a reason for the

hope that is within us. This calls for thinking, and for a mind that is

exercised by wrestling with the Word of God. Our experience is all

we need to save us, but experience needs to be expressed and

explained to others if they are to be saved. We must learn to

communicate our Christian experience in such a way that we

convince rather than confuse.

Let us suppose that I have just returned from Africa and want

to tell you of an exciting experience. When I was ready to get on the

ship coming back to America one of the native dock workers laid

down his load and said to me “kalunga baywana.” I was amazed

and hardly knew what to say, but I replied, “Buto hata nosook.”

The smile that came across his face revealed the truth of what he has

said. I sailed back to America with the hope that many could hear

of this experience. Does anyone know what that was all about? Of

course not. What good is an exciting experience if it is not put in

language that can be understood? What good is it to tell others of

our experience in Christ if we do not speak to them in a language

they can understand? The task of communicating the Gospel to our

world in a language they can understand is one of the greatest

challenges for the human mind. That is why we have so many new

versions of the Bible, and that is why loving God with all of our

mind is so essential.

In verse 13 he urges us to prepare our minds for action. Paul

urged us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The mind

is always the greatest battlefield in any age. The churches greatest

enemies have always come from the realm of ideas. Swords, fire and

lions never hindered the church from growing, but false ideas have.

Heresies have kept millions out of the kingdom, and cults today are

still doing that. Ideas are the great weapons of warfare, for ideas

captivate the mind, and to reach the minds of men is a far greater

objective than any other. Ronald Youngblood use to say, “The

weapons of our warfare are words and we must wield them well.”

This calls for dedicated minds.

Peter is saying that we must not be sloppy in our thinking. We

are not to let our minds be tossed and tangled by the winds of the

world’s thinking. Loose thinking leads to loose living. A person

who is slipshod in his thought life will stumble across the problems

of life like a drunkard stumbles across the tracks in a freight train

yard. The Christian needs to have a dedicated mind. Paul said,