Unleashing Your Spiritual Vitality-1(2015) Series

UNLEASHING YOUR SPIRITUAL VITALITY-I—1Peter 1:13-21

Attention:

Chicken Plants:

A life-long city man, tired of the rat race, decided he was going to give up the city life, move to the country, & become a chicken farmer. He found a nice, used chicken farm, which he bought. Turns out that his next door neighbor was also a chicken farmer. The neighbor came for a visit one day & said, "Chicken farming isn't easy. Tell you what. To help you get started, I'll give you 100 chickens."

The new chicken farmer was thrilled. Two weeks later the new neighbor stopped by to see how things were going. The new farmer said, "Not too good. All 100 chickens died."

The neighbor said, "Oh, I can't believe that. I've never had any trouble with my chickens. I'll give you 100 more."

Another two weeks go by, & the neighbor stops in again. The new farmer says, "You're not going to believe this, but the second 100 chickens died too."

Astounded, the neighbor asked, "what went wrong? What did you do to them?"

Well, says the new farmer, "I'm not sure whether I'm planting them too deep or not far apart enough."

The noobie farmer needed to know how to release the chicken’s vitality!

Need:

Due to the privilege which we have in the gospel of salvation in Christ by faith....We can exemplify a vitality others desire.

This begins & is exemplified in a personal attention to one’s mindset.

Peter steered the Christians of Asia into the vitality born of their privilege in Christ.

The vitality born of the extreme privilege in Christ is released specifically.

What releases that vitality?

The means of unleashing the vitality born of privilege in Christ.

1—To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality....

Prepare The MIND(:13a)

Explanation:(:13a)

:13a—“Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind,....”

Due to the preciousness of the extreme privilege which we have before us—in having lived in & after the time when the Good News of salvation in Christ by faith has been plainly revealed—we are thus to display a particular manner of vitality in our choices & actions.

This is displayed in a personal attention to one’s mindset. A ‘roll up your sleeves’ attitude.

A runner prepares himself mentally.

1Cor. 9:24-26—“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”

“Gird/Gird up”—anazwnnumi—To gird up; metaph.—Be prepared.—The Middle Easterners, who in order to be unimpeded in their movements ...when starting a journey or engaging in any work, habitually bound their long flowing garments closely around their bodies & fastened them with a leather belt. Strong—To gird afresh. Used 1X.

From—ana—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but by extension(used distributively)--Severally, or (locally)--At (etc.)—&—zwnnumi—To bind about(especially with a belt).

“Loins of your mind/Minds for action”—osfuav thv dianoiav umwn

“Loins”—osfuv—The hip(loin); A loin, the (two)loins.

“Mind”—dianoia—The mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring;Understanding; Mind, i.e. spirit, way of thinking & feeling; Thoughts, either good or bad.

From—dia & nouv—‘Through thinking’—‘Deep thought’, imagination, mind, understanding.

“For Action”[NASB/NIV]—Implied—Interpretational addition only.

Argumentation:

Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind[nouv], that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”

Job 38:1-3—“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, & said: “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, & you shall answer Me.”

Job 40:6-14—“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, & said: “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, & you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty & splendor, & array yourself with glory & beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, & humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, & bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you.”

Prepared to be called out for personal sin. Prepared for soul-searching.