In this passage, Peter is addressing a question that each of us struggles with: how can we be good? Because we do want to be good, at least theoretically. Don’t we? We want to be people who do the right thing, who are honorable, who are worthy of respect, people who tell the truth. We want to be the kind of men and women that our parents can be proud of, that our children can be proud of. We want others to be able to say of us, sincerely, “he’s a good man”. Or, “she’s a woman of good character”.
And when I ask this question, I’m fully aware that the world sneers at the whole idea of being good; likening it to being a “goody-two shoes” who carefully avoids anything that might taint his or her reputation. Or calling someone who seeks to be virtuous a “boy scout” who is ignorant of grown-up, worldly realities. Not that actual boy scouts fit that description. The world twists the idea of being good and equates it with being—take your pick—un-adventurous, timid, naïve, self-righteous, a people-pleaser, a rule-keeper, a “good little boy”. And who wants to be any of those things? No one. But that’s not the kind of goodness I’m talking about.
The goodness I’m referring to, the kind of goodness that deep down we all want, is principled, and courageous, and willing to take a stand. It’s self-controlled, and wise, and firm. It’s fully aware of how the world works; it knows the score. And yet, even when it is not in its self-interest to do so, even when it is difficult, or unpopular, or costly, it chooses to do what is right. That’s the kind of good that in our better moments we desire to be—at least theoretically.
The problem, of course, is that we don’t live in a theoretical world. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with temptations to do what we know not to be good, to do what we know not to be right, to do things that are not particularly noble or praiseworthy. And so, while we want to be good people, we don’t always want to do the particular good thing that is in front of us. For example:
• We want to be patient, theoretically. But in the moment, what we are tempted to do is respond impatiently to the person in front of us in the checkout line who is counting out the exact change for their $19.73 worth of hot dogs and hot dog buns. And who is convinced they’ve been overcharged for the potato salad. Price check! No-o-o-o. Not a price check! Here’s a twenty. The picnic is on me. Just move along.
• We want to be truthful, but when the boss asks who made this stupid decision, and it would be easy to blame it on that guy who left the company six weeks ago, because who would that really hurt, and besides he probably made some dumb decisions that nobody knows about — then our motivation for being honest diminishes.
• We want to control our tongue and not speak ill of others, but when we find out that one of those “others” has been saying bad things about us, what we want at that moment is to say bad things about them. Attack their character and their motivations so that no one will believe those nasty things they are saying. And anyway, they deserve it for being gossips.
• We want . . . but I don’t need to give any more examples, do I? Because you could cite a dozen more scenarios from your own experience, your own reactions, your own struggle to do what you know in your heart is right, when your circumstances, and your emotions, and your self-interest, are pushing you in a different direction.
The good news is that this internal conflict is something that God understands, and that the New Testament authors understand. In today’s passage, Peter gives this instruction:
“14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” -- 1 Peter 1:14-16
Simply put, Peter recognizes that holy behavior and obedience to God are not automatic, even for sincere Christians. They are something we have to choose. Paul also spoke to this, in his letter to the Galatians:
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” -- Galatians 5:17
In other words, this conflict, this ongoing struggle between what the Holy Spirit tells us in our heart is right and what we sometimes want to do that we know is not right — this struggle will be with us, in one form or another, until Christ returns. That’s the bad news. Life is a struggle, not only with external forces that are opposed to what is good, but with our own internal desires that lead us astray.
But there’s good news, too. First of all, we have hope for the future. When Christ returns, we will finally be free of the impulse to do evil, because we will be transformed into his likeness, morally and spiritually. That’s part of what Peter is referring to in verse thirteen, that’s part of the “grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming”
(1 Peter 1:13): the eradication of our desire to sin.
In fact, that process of transformation has already begun in us. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians:
“17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Yes! The process of transformation, the process by which we are changing into God’s moral and spiritual likeness, has already begun, and is even now taking place in everyone who has faith in Christ. Not only that, but John encourages us with this hope:
“2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” – 1 John 3:2-3
That’s the good news. This struggle is temporary. We are in the process of being transformed, even now, and that transformation will be final and complete at the return of Christ. When that happens, we will no longer have any desire or inclination to sin. But in the meantime, the struggle is real. So. How do we prevail? How do we do what is right, what is good, when we simply don’t want to? How do we honor Christ in our behavior, in our thoughts and in our speech, when our desire is to do the opposite?
And that leads us to the good news in today’s passage. Peter has a response to that dilemma. It’s part of the message of the entire letter. This letter, First Peter, is written to tell us how to live as “foreigners and exiles” in this world, how to maintain our identity as followers of Christ in a culture that is at best indifferent, and at worst, openly hostile to Christian faith. And so let’s look again at chapter one, verse 13:
"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” -- 1 Peter 1:13
The answer to our dilemma begins with our minds. I spoke a few weeks ago about the importance of guarding our minds, the importance of being aware of what we are putting into our heads, being thoughtful about what we are watching, and listening to, and participating in. This kind of mindfulness – what Peter refers to as being “alert and fully sober” – is essential to godliness. Paul makes the same point in Ephesians chapter four:
“22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” -- Ephesians 4:22-24
“To be made new in the attitude of your minds”. According to Paul, the renewal of our minds is essential to rejecting corruption and deceitful desires. It’s essential to putting our old way of life behind us. It’s essential to living in righteousness and holiness.
And that’s what Peter is talking about here. In fact, he emphasizes it by referring to it three times in this letter:
"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” – 1 Peter 1:13
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” – 1 Peter 4:7
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
What does it mean to be “alert and of sober mind”? Simply put, it means paying attention.
It means taking these things that we talk about on Sunday morning seriously, as if they mattered. It means giving as much thought and focus to matters of faith as you do to anything else in your life — as much thought and focus as you give to your 401k balance, or the progress of your fantasy football team, or your children’s summer wardrobes, or your strange obsession with Meghan and Harry’s new baby, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Granted, your job and your daily responsibilities take up the bulk of your time. But in terms of what it is that your mind goes to when it’s not otherwise occupied, your faith and your walk with Christ should be at the top of the list.
What’s the opposite, then, of being “alert and of sober mind”? Being careless. Thoughtless. Indifferent and inattentive, in matters of faith. Being so full of concern for the things of the world that you are dull and unresponsive when it comes to Christian thoughts, and ideas, and conversations. Don’t be like that. Be alert and of sober mind.
So how do we do this? How do we develop, and maintain, minds that are alert and sober with respect to our faith? Well, let me ask you, what would you do if you wanted to be better informed, or more thoughtful, or mentally sharp on any other topic? You would read. You would study. You would engage with people who are better informed or more experienced than you. And the same thing applies in the realm of faith.
Let me make some suggestions. Here at Providence, we will be offering Adult workshops during the nine o’clock hour starting in September. Take advantage of them. We have men’s Bible Study Fellowship. We have Women’s Bible Study. We have a library full of Christian books. Utilize those. Educate yourself. Most of us here this morning can read. You may not know that historically, the impetus for universal education and literacy was to ensure that each person could read the Bible for themselves. For example, in 1647 the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed an act which gave this as the rationale for the establishment of schools:
“It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue . . . and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors, it is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read.” -- Massachusetts General School Law of 1647
No extra charge for that little history lesson. So take advantage of your education. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask someone. Ask one of the elders, or one of the pastors. Ask me.
But when Paul and Peter talk about the mind, they aren’t referring just to knowledge; Paul referred to being “be made new in the attitude of your minds”, and it’s also a matter of adjusting your viewpoint, your perspective, your approach to life. That’s why it’s important to interact with other Christians who are dealing with the same issues you are; other Christians who perhaps are a bit further down the path and who can share some of their hard-earned wisdom. And for that, in addition to what I’ve already mentioned, we have Flocks that meet in homes. We have men’s fellowship. We have groups for young adults and high schoolers. We have the kind of resources that Christians in other parts of the world can only dream of. So you really have no excuse for being uneducated or uninformed about your faith, and how to live your faith to your daily life. You really don’t..
One more point: there’s no better way to reinforce what you are learning than to take notes, as some of you are doing this morning. As ideas make their way from your ears, through your brain, and out through your fingertips, they take root in your mind and heart. Thinking about what you are hearing or reading, and summarizing it in written notes, is a proven means of retaining what you learn. Try it.
All right. That’s the general principle we’re developing this morning. Be alert and of sober mind. But what is it specifically that Peter wants us to think about? What topics does he identify as most helpful in guiding our thoughts, and influencing our actions? Two things: the future and the past. First, the future. What does verse 13 say?
“ . . . set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” – 1 Peter 1:13
Future rewards are a great motivator, aren’t they? For example, people will labor for years in the expectation of receiving a college degree. Once they graduate and have a job, they’ll work nights and weekends in the hope of receiving a promotion. And then the next promotion, and the next. They’ll work years for a corner office, or at first maybe just an office instead of a cubicle. They’ll work for a title. A raise. Partnership. Stock options. In education, they’ll work for a professorship. Tenure. Awards. In the military, the French general, Napoleon Bonaparte, once observed that “a soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon”. And he was right. People will work long and hard for the rewards that they value, even if it’s just a bit of colored ribbon, or a plaque, or an office with a window.
Perhaps your own goals lie in other areas: artistic achievement, or political influence, or family. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with any of these goals. The point is this: our vision for the future; what we set our minds on, what we hope for, will determine how we live and the choices we make. And what Peter is telling us is that, whatever else we may desire and plan for, the one thing that more than anything else drives us, the fundamental vision that animates us, should be the hope that we have in Christ, “the grace to be brought to you when he is revealed at his coming”, as he puts it.
Here’s how Paul describes this attitude in himself, in his letter to the Philippian church:
“7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:7-14
Is that your attitude? Is that hope, of what your life is going to be like when Christ returns, that hope of how you are going to be changed, is that hope what drives you, what motivates you, what gives you the energy to press on? If the answer is “no”, then let me suggest a reason. Part of the reason is that you spend so little time contemplating these things, so little time dwelling on them. Why would you get excited about something you hardly ever think about? If your mind is full of everything else; if you spend all of your time dreaming about the next raise, or promotion, or award; the next professional achievement, or new car, or vacation, then that’s what you are going to value the most. But if you invest time in thinking about the world to come, then naturally that’s what you will value.
And in fact, that’s what we are told to do. Paul writes this in Colossians chapter three:
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
– Colossians 3:1-4
“Set your hearts on things above”. “Set your minds on things above”. Why? Because your life, your true, eternal life, is at the present time hidden from view; it’s concealed; it’s unseen. What you are in Christ can’t yet be known or fully understood, although we know that it is incredibly glorious and joyful, that it’s something beyond our power to imagine or conceive of. But when Christ appears, all that you are in him will finally be revealed, and it will be amazing. “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”. What an incredible, life-altering promise, if it’s true. Isn’t it? Can it possibly be true? It can, and it is. Isn’t that worth thinking about? Isn’t that a vision to direct, and energize, and fundamentally transform your life?
Just a bit more on this, because I want you to experience what I’m talking about, how the contemplation of our hope in Christ can change our thinking and our attitudes, our goals and our priorities, and ultimately our behavior. Because you don’t stop doing bad things by trying to stop wanting the bad things. You stop doing bad things by replacing that desire with a greater desire, a desire for something far better, which is the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
In Revelation, John tells us this,
“3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
No more death. No more mourning. No more crying. No more pain. Never, ever, ever again. I don’t know about you, but I already feel like I’ve had enough tears in my life. Enough pain. Enough mourning. Even though I know there is likely more to come. But on the day when Christ returns, all of that will cease, forever. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Not only that, but we will be changed physically. Paul tells us this:
“42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
Yes. I’m also tired of things like the flu, and kidney stones, and back pain, and blurry vision, and blood clots, and mosquito bites. I’m looking forward to a glorious, powerful, imperishable body that suffers from none of those things. Aren’t you?
Why does this matter? How does my future hope in Christ affect my ability to be a good person, my ability to choose what is right? Again, what does John tell us?
“2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” – 1 John 3:2-3
“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” In other words, the more our lives are centered around this hope, the hope of what we will be and experience when Christ returns, the more we will want to do what pleases Christ; the more our lives and our character will resemble his. Because we tend to become what we think about.
All right. There’s another aspect of the future that Peter wants us to consider, and that’s judgment. In verse 17 of this morning’s passage, we read:
“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”
“Fear”. Is it possible for hope and fear to co-exist? Yes. Because for Christians, this fear is not a fear of punishment; Christ has taken on himself all of the penalty and punishment for our sins, whether past, present, or future. Rather, it’s a fear of grieving God by misusing the gifts, and opportunities, and blessings that he has bestowed on us. And it’s also a fear of missing out on the rewards that God will someday bestow on those who faithfully serve him. With regard to the first, hear what Paul writes in Ephesians chapter four:
“29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:29-32
Is it possible to grieve God? Any parent who has ever had a child living in disobedience and rebellion against God knows what this feels like; you see the destructive effects in their life, you know what they are missing out on, and your overwhelming emotion isn’t anger. It’s grief. That’s how God the Holy Spirit responds when, for example, we slander one another, or harshly criticize one another, or act in malice toward one another, or act out of bitterness or rage toward one another. He is grieved. And we should have a fear, a reverent fear, of grieving God by our misconduct.
We should also fear losing rewards in heaven. No, we can’t lose our salvation. But we can lose rewards. Paul writes this in First Corinthians:
“12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Each of us here this morning is building something, creating something, with our lives. Day by day, with every choice we make, with every word we speak, we’re constructing something that only God can see. Every decision to obey or disobey, every choice to act in love or selfishness, every decision to seek peace or stir up strife, to build up or tear down, to be gentle or harsh—every single one of those is a brushstroke in the canvas of our life. No matter how it looks to the world, God sees the reality. And on the day of judgment, the quality of what we have built will be revealed.
On that day, it won’t matter what prizes we’ve won, what wealth we’ve accumulated, what professional heights we’ve attained, what reputation we’ve enjoyed. Only one thing will matter — did we serve God faithfully with the gifts, and abilities, and opportunities he gave us, wherever we were and whatever we were doing? Did we honor him with our lives, with our words, with our labor, with our choices? Or did we squander the life he gave us on trivial and worthless things? Or worse yet, did we misuse his gifts to do evil?
To the extent that the answer is the former, then when God tests our work, it will stand.
We will receive a reward corresponding to the quality of our life. But to the extent that the answer is the latter, what we have built, what we have created with our life, will be burned up. We will still be saved. But it will be like someone fleeing a burning house; we will escape with our lives, but we will lose out on the rewards we would otherwise have gained. That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? Which is why, again, Peter tells us this in verse 17:
“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” – 1 Peter 1:17
God will judge our work. For that reason, as we look forward to the day of Christ’s return and the day of judgment, we should live in reverent fear. Not an abject fear of punishment, but a reverent fear of grieving the Spirit, and a fear of having our lives burn up and count for nothing.
One final point: Not only does Peter want us to think about the future, he also wants us to think about the past, about what God in Christ has done for us. Because that also has an effect on how we live.
“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 ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” -- 1 Peter 3:18-21
Something happened in the past that has tremendous significance for us today. We were slaves; slaves to sin. We were unable to please God. Our condition was hopeless. But Jesus Christ redeemed us; that is, he paid the price to purchase us out of slavery. And that price was his own life; his blood, something far more precious than silver or gold. As we consider that God sacrificed the life of his own Son for us, as we consider the terrible suffering that Christ endured on the cross, as we consider what it meant for Jesus to have his own Father turn away from him, and instead of feeling his Father’s love experiencing instead his terrible wrath, poured out on him for our sins — to the extent that we consider all of that, we will want to live lives characterized by gratitude and faithful obedience.
By way of application, consider this: that when Peter wants to give us examples of holiness and its opposites, when he wants to give us a picture of a life guided by a mind that his alert and fully sober, a mind that understands and takes seriously both the future and the past, what does he cite? Our conduct toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words, the primary evidence of our personal holiness is how we treat one another.
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” – 1 Peter 1:22
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” – 1 Peter 2:1
How does your life measure up to those descriptions?
In closing, let me challenge you. God has given you an incredible inheritance in Christ.
He redeemed you from sin and gave you a wonderful hope of transformation and eternal blessing, a hope which is certain and secure. The more you fix your mind on those things, the less that sin will appeal and the more that walking with God in faith and obedience will be what you desire, and what you do. Won’t you make a commitment, today, to do what is needed to have a mind that is “alert and fully sober” in the faith?
Amen.
