“Always Be Prepared!”
1 Peter 1:13-19 and 2 Peter 3:10-12
David P. Nolte
The Scouts don’t have a monopoly on the Motto: “Be Prepared.” We, as Christians, need also to be prepared!
People prepare for many things: a vacation trip, company coming, athletic events. I tell you, there is a ton of fun, excited, upbeat, anticipatory preparation for a wedding. Thank you all who made things ready for John and Lois, or Lois and John whichever you prefer.
We need to be prepared for life, for service, for meeting the Lord when He returns. When that last day comes we need already to be prepared. The song said,
“I hear the sound
Of a mighty rushing wind
And it’s closer now
Than it’s ever been
I can almost hear the trumpet
And Gabriel sound the chord
At the midnight cry we’ll be going home.”
Peter wrote, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” 2 Peter 3:10-12 (NASB).
And in his first letter Peter gives this counsel of preparation: in light of what God has done to save us, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy.’ If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13-19 (NASB).
Peter suggests that we be:
I. PREPARED BY ACTION:
A. Peter said, “prepare your minds for action.”
1. That means turn your mind to doing something; being active; serving and working.
2. We are to be doers, workers, and as Paul wrote to Titus, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.” Titus 3:1 (NASB). And “This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” Titus 3:8 (NASB).
B. We need often to be reminded of the place of works in the Christian life:
1. We are not saved by any good works. “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ...” Titus 3:4-5 (NASB).
2. But we are saved for good works.
a.“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB).
b.“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:14-17 (NASB).
3. Saved by grace through faith for good works.
4. Works are the fruit of salvation, not the root; works are the consequence of salvation, not the cause.
C. What are good works?
1. Helping those in genuine need when we have resources.
2. Visiting widows and orphans in their distress.
3. Bearing one another’s burdens.
4. Teaching the untaught.
5. Weeping with those who weep.
6. Encouraging one another in the faith.
7. Restoring one who has wandered from the faith.
8. And the list goes on and on.
D. Action gives meaning to intention:
1. A hammer is just a stick with a chunk of metal on one end until the builder wields it in action.
2. An oven is just a cave in the stove until it is put into action baking me a couple dozen chocolate chip, oatmeal, coconut cookies.
3. A Christian is just a name on a membership roll until he / she is active in service.
E. It would be highly embarrassing, to say the least, to have Jesus show up suddenly and we be found not doing His will. It would be like the scenario related by Chuck Swindoll: I will abbreviate his story. A man returned to his business after being in Europe for a year setting up a branch there. When he arrived he was shocked. Windows were broken, weeds were knee high in the flower beds, and trash littered the entry way. When he entered he observed the receptionist ignoring the ringing phone, chomping on a wad of gum and reading a book. The manager was playing WII Golf. The owner called them all together and asked, “What has happened? Didn’t you get my letters of instruction?” One man said, “Oh, yes! We loved them all – we had letter studies and some us memorized large parts of them..” The owner said, “You loved them, studied them, memorized them – so why didn’t you do as they instructed?” We are not only to be hearers of the word but doers of the word as well!
Peter’s words are intended to help us be active in service and to be:
II. PREPARED BY HOLINESS:
A. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
1. Holiness does not refer to some hypnotic state of meditation where we sit cross-legged and mutter, “ooooooooo.”
2. Holiness is not arrogant, snobbish, self-righteous smugness.
3. Holiness is not severe asceticism or rigid rule keeping.
4. Holiness is to be set apart for doing God’s will. A tithe is 10% set apart for the Lord.
5. Holiness is to be different and separated from the anti-God culture.
6. Holiness is to live according to the mores and standards of Jesus.
7. Holiness is to live in a Godly, God pleasing manner.
B. To be holy
1. We must keep ourselves unstained by lust, greed, and all other sin.
2. We can’t live like the secular world and be holy.
C. Look at it this way.
1. I think it was Max Lucado (but apologies to whoever said it if not Max) “If you put a white glove into a mud puddle, the glove gets muddy, but the mud does not get glovey.”
2. When we conform to the world we become worldly but the world does not become Christly.
D. Holiness is not based on some emotional event or mystical experience but upon the will.
1. We choose to devote our lives to God to serve Him.
2. We consciously and deliberately dedicate our lives; our time, talents and treasure to Jesus
3. A decision is made to surrender our will to Christ. We decide to turn over ownership and control of our life to Him.
E. We are made holy when we surrender to Jesus and He sets us apart as His own. He takes us as we are and makes us clean, pure and holy. This is illustrated by the action of a young couple who visited an orphanage which housed children for adoption. The care taker brought out the children who were freshly bathed, well dressed, and properly schooled in manners; for this couple’s inspection and selection. As they spoke to each child, they did not find the one they were looking for to adopt. They asked the care taker: “Do you have any more children?” He replied: “Yes, we have one boy, but he has not been cleaned up or dressed for viewing today.” They couple said immediately: “That alright, can we see him?” After a few minutes, the child was brought out and stood with the rest of the children. He was dirty, face unwashed, hair uncombed; clothes ragged and torn, no shoes; and his was head was hanging down in shame, as he stood next to the other children. After a few minutes of somber discussion; and wiping the tears from their eyes; they said to the care taker: “We want this child!” The man replied: “But he is not as nice as the other children; he's unmannered, and unloved by his own parents.” He continued: “And we have been unable to get him to behave; why do you want him?” The couple paused, to regain their composure and replied: “We see in him, the blessings of God for our home, and a better hope in life for him.” With shame the man asked: “Do you want us to clean him up?” They coupled replied, lovingly: “No, we want the child just as he is right now.” They chose him and set him apart from all the rest. That’s how Jesus makes us holy – just as we are, He sets us apart to be His own. Without His holiness we are in no condition for His arrival.
Peter said that we need to be prepared in holiness and we should be
III. PREPARED BY GODLY CONDUCT:
A. “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” And, “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.”
1. This includes: being prepared for action; being prepared by holiness with the result of godly conduct.
2. It means walking the walk not just talking the talk..
3. It means making performance fit profession.
4. It means "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB).
B. We have all heard, and it is true, “Actions speak louder than words.”
1. Someone might well say, “I can’t hear what you are saying because what you are doing is speaking too loud.”
2. Jesus said, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” Matthew 23:2-3 (NASB).
C. Godly conduct does not save us, but it will make us unashamed when Jesus comes.
1. Peter wrote, “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.” 1 John 2:28-29 (NASB).
2. And Jesus said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.” Luke 12:42-43 (NASB).
D. While we don’t want to reduce Christianity to mere behaviorism or rule keeping, our faith produces Godly behavior and obedience. John the Baptist said, “ Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” Luke 3:8 (NLT2).
E. When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn't know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn't motivate her. She just didn't take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided to tell her that one day she would become the queen of England. Upon hearing this, Victoria quietly said, "Then I will be good." The realization that she had inherited this high calling gave her a sense of responsibility that profoundly affected her conduct from then on.
Those who profess to follow Christ must make that kind of decision. May our submission to His purpose lead us to good works, holiness and Godly conduct.
A lady once told me, “I can’t become Christian until I clean up my life and become holy.” My response was, “That will never happen. You don’t get holy to come to God – you come to Him unholy in order to become holy.”
The writer of Hebrews said, “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 (NLT2). Be prepared for His coming – active in good works, holy in our dedication to Jesus and godly in conduct. Ready or not – He is coming – always be prepared!
Before He comes He still calls – listen for His call in your heart and mind as we sing, I Can Hear My Savior Calling.
