Facing Your Trials in Hope - 1 Peter 1b
June 22, 2008
Turn with me this morning to the end of your Bibles, to the book of 1 Peter, chapter 1. We want to review briefly what we looked at three weeks ago. Remember that Peter is writing to give practical help to Christians dealing with daily problems. He starts by reminding us that we all face trials. They come in all shapes and sizes of trial. Peter says we can expect them to come; so don’t be surprised when they do come. They can be very hard to deal with, but with God’s help, we can make it through. Peter says in spite of the trials in our lives, we can have HOPE. Hope is not a futile wishing for a good future, rather hope is the confident expectation that God will work, based upon his character. I can have hope in the midst of trials, Peter tells me, because I am chosen of God - God loved me and elected ME! I am born of God - God not only loved me, but he made me his child. I am destined for good - I have an incorruptible inheritance waiting for me. I am shielded by God’s power - I am completely protected as I face these various trials. Therefore, I can have JOY in the midst of the trials, and I can GROW spiritually.
That is what we saw the last time, how to live a life of HOPE. Today, we want to move on to the rest of chapter 1. When you have hope, it affects how you live. Peter’s second call to us, is that because we have hope, we need to live a life of HOLINESS. Let’s read starting at verse 13. READ 1:13-21 -- pray.
God’s call to us today is to be holy. But holiness is one of those church words that we use so frequently, but don’t really get a grasp on what it means. We all want to be holy, but often we don’t know what it really looks like, and we don’t know how to get there. Literally, the word “holy” means “set apart” or in our culture today, we might use the word “different.” We are to live lives that are “different” from those in the world around us. The things they run after -- money, power, pleasure, pride -- they are not the things we seek.
Now, we all know that as Christians we are to be different from the world. The only problem we face is that often we need reminded of that call. We need MOTIVATION to live a different life. In Hebrews 10, it tells us we are to consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. You all know what a spur is, don’t you -- it’s a sharp metal disc with spikes on it, used to jab into a horse to get him to move. We are to literally “poke each other in the behind with a pin” to help motivate each other to live for God.
Peter gives us some keys here in these verses to live a different life, one set apart for God. Often we think that the key to godliness is going to church, reading our bibles, and praying more. But notice with me that none of those is the key that Peter shares first. Look in verse 13 to see the first key for holy living:
1. Control Your Mind - vs 13 - Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. The KJV has Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind. The NLT has So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ.
Peter knows the truth that holy living starts with right thinking. We saw this principle when we went through Ephesians together: Right thinking brings right action. The image Paul uses is of someone wearing a robe who gathers up his robe and tucks it in his belt so he is ready for action. We don’t wear robes a lot today, so let’s use a similar concept: it’s time for you to work on a big project, so you clear your desk, turn off the TV and radio, take the phone off the hook -- everything is put aside so you can focus on the work at hand. The NLT says “think clearly” - if you are going to lead a holy life, you need to think clearly about things. We need to have an alert mind. When someone is drunk with alcohol, their judgment is impaired. And while we often avoid getting drunk with alcohol, often we have impaired judgment because of our passions, our desires -- we make poor choices because we want things so badly. We are drunk with desire. And so we end up living just like the world. The first step to holy living, living differently than the world is to control your mind; have an alert mind that thinks clearly.
We also need a disciplined mind - one that exercises self-control. One of the hardest things we deal with is the ability to say “NO.” Whether it be in eating, in spending, in wasting time, we are not highly disciplined individuals. We enjoy indulging. But to live a holy life, we need self-control. The word used here really is the word for being calm & steady and able to think things out. Don’t make rash decisions. Take your time if you want to lead a godly life. Think about the choices you are making. So often we act without thinking. And then, we also need a focused mind. It says set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. We need to focus on the return of Christ. When you got up this morning, were you expecting that maybe today Christ would come back? He might, but often we fail to expect him.
Just like an engaged couple makes every decision thinking about their coming wedding and how the decision will affect the two of them, we need to think about our bridegroom in every decision we make, because He IS coming back for us sometime soon.
So, the first step in living a different life, a holy life, is to Control Your Mind. Jesus understood the power of the mind to impact our lives. That’s why He said in Matthew 5:27-28, You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Your mind is the most sexual organ in your body. It is the key to lust and passion and desire and coveting and envy and a myriad of other sins. That’s why to have a holy life, we start with controlling our minds. Second, Peter gives us this insight:
2. Imitate Your Master - Look in verse 14-16: As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” We have a model of holy living in the life of Jesus. That’s why those WWJD bracelets were so popular. It’s a constant reminder that whenever we face a difficult decision, we ask ourselves, what would Jesus do?
One reason we live differently than the world is because we want to be just like Jesus. That’s the definition of a disciple, one who seeks to be just like the master in every way. Paul taught that in Eph. 5:1 - Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.
In verse 14, Peter uses the term, obedient children - how do children learn? They watch their parents and do whatever they do. When a child sees his daddy pray, he’ll learn to pray. But when a child sees his daddy throw things and swear, that’s what that child will learn to do too. As parents, we set a powerful example for our children. We talked about that last week on Father’s Day. But in the same way, as WE are the children, we seek to imitate our Heavenly Father. We imitate Him because we are his children, but also because we are called - we are called to be holy just as He is holy.
Peter reminds us we have a choice to make. If we want to be like Jesus, it means that we need to stop trying to be like the neighbors -- getting a new car, buying a new riding lawn mower, eating out just because it’s convenient and fun. Instead, going back to step 1, we control our minds and think clearly, and as we think, we ask what God would have us do.
When it tells us to not conform to the evil desires we used to have, that’s the same phrasing Paul uses in Romans 12 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And there we see it parallel once again -- the way to keep from following the world is to control our minds, and wisely choose to be like Christ. We need to change the way we think!
John tells us in 1 John 2:15 - Do not love the world or anything in the world. . . for everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever. Far too many Christians love the things of this world.
Pause for a moment and do a little self-reflection. What holds your interest? What gets you excited? What are you passionate about? The things of God or the things of this world? Or think about it this way -- what do you spend the bulk of your time and money on, things of temporary insignificance or things of eternal value? Take a moment and think about it. (PAUSE)
God’s call to salvation is not just a privilege we enjoy, but a responsibility we must fulfill. He calls us not just to salvation, but to seek to BE just like Him in every way. To be holy for He is holy.
So, what helps us live holy? Controlling our minds and imitating our Master. Three, Peter tells us
3. Inquire of the Scriptures - notice the wording in verse 16 - for it is written - Peter DOES get to the importance of the scriptures now. Because all throughout the Bible the authority of the scriptures are stressed. We often live like the Bible is a book of suggestions that we can choose to apply or ignore as we choose. And when we live like that, we are taking the place of God. We are saying, God, I know you say this, but I think I know better. If I asked you if you were smarter than God, not one of you would raise your hand. But by your life you tell everyone you think you are when you ignore God’s word.
If we want to be holy, to live differently in a filthy, sinful world, we need to ask, “What does the Bible say?” And often we dont find the exact answer, but we find principles that can apply to any situation. The Bible won’t tell you if it’s okay to eat at Applebees for lunch, but you will find principles that will guide you in that and any number of other situations.
But often we come to the Bible like an encyclopedia, to get answers. Yet the real purpose of the Bible is not so we can know God’s will, but so we can know and love God himself! As we seek to be holy, just like God, we read his word so we can know this God we want to imitate.
Peter gives us a fourth key:
4. Anticipate Coming Judgment. Why do we live differently in this world? Because one day soon we are going to stand before the judge! We need to live like we are going to face the judge today! If you were arrested for public drunkenness, and you had to be in court at 3 PM, I can’t imagine that anyone here would be foolish enough to go to the bar at 2:30 for one little drink. If you were facing a speeding violation, you wouldn’t pull into the courthouse parking lot at 55 mph, squeeling your tires! If you are facing the judge, you want to be on your best behavior. Because we fear the judge.
But as Christians we will also meet a judge. And we are to live in reverent fear of Him. Look in verse 17: Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. The idea is not that we are afraid and cowering when we think of God, but that being in awe of Him causes us to obey and respect Him. What is our motivation for godly living? It is knowing we will stand and give an account of our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. We don’t live in fear of condemnation, but infear that what we spend our life on will be of no eternal value. Often we don’t struggle with the question of right and wrong nearly as much as we struggle with the question of what is best. Many times the things we enjoy, the things this world offers might not be sinful in and of themselves, but they just are of no eternal value.
Life is too short to waste it in disobedience and sin. Let’s live so that when we stand before the judge, He will say, Well done, good and faithful servant. And Peter gives us a fifth motivation for godly living:
5. Confirm Your Faith - what Peter tells us here could be summarized, Be sure of what you believe. Look at verse 18 - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. These verses explain our salvation: In the OT sacrificial system they killed lambs to cover over sin. The lambs were a picture of Christ, who would allow himself to be killed, to willingly give up his life to take your sins and my sins upon himself. He died in our place, taking the penalty of our sin and wrongdoing.
What is our motivation for living a holy life? We know that what we believe is true. Is the Bible true? You bet your LIFE it is! That is what you are doing! You are betting your life, your soul, your eternal destiny on the truthfulness of this book. Don’t gamble with your soul. Either the bible is true or it is a pack of lies. And you need to decide. If it a book of lies, don’t waste your time coming to church. But if it is true, don’t waste your life living for yourself. Give yourself COMPLETELY over to serving God, because that is the only thing that matters in life. We call this type of faith CONVICTION - being willing to die for the truth!
Verse 18 says we have been redeemed from the empty way of life. The sad fact is many Christians never give complete control of their lives over to God and so they lead empty, shallow, meaningless, unfulfilled lives. They live for pleasure -- as Paul says in Timothy, they are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
Think with me once again. Which do you know how to use better: your Bible or the TV guide. Can you quote more scripture or more secular song lyrics. Do you know the top ten American Idols or the twelve disciples? Would you rather spend time with God or with your friends?
Let’s live out what we truly believe. God’s desire is that we live abundant lives, lives lived out to the fullest extent.
We live differently in the world because we control our minds, we imitate our master, we inquire of scripture, we anticipate judgment, and we confirm our faith. May God help us to lead a holy life this week. Let’s pray.
