“Who He Is And What He Requires” • 6.17.18
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Peter has opened his epistle
with a set of assurances written to a tense group of believers, who were living
under the threat of persecution.
- He reminds them of their
position in Christ. They were chosen by God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit and
cleansed by the blood of the Son. As such, they are inheritors with Christ!
- He assures them of the proof of
the Lord's work in their lives, pointing to their enduring faith and their love
for Christ.
- When we closed, Peter had
convinced them that their possession of knowledge of God's work was actually
more complete than the Old Testament prophets or even the angelic beings!
- The Apostle has laid a firm
theological foundation for their belief and now he begins to instruct them
about their behavior. Verse 13.
Text
• I Peter
1:13-16 : "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest
your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former
lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your
conduct, because
it is written, 'Be holy,
for I am holy.'" : On account of the security
of a believer's inheritance and the full expression of the salvation that
awaits them, gird up your loins!
- This is a peculiar expression for the modern
mind but was an every day metaphor that this first century audience would have
instantly recognized.
- During this period in history, all people
wore long flowing robes, which were easy enough to walk around with, but were
not as efficient if you were in a hurry.
- When you needed to move quickly, the person
would take their robe and tuck it into their belt area. This is what it meant
to "gird themselves up."
- When they were "girded thusly,"
they were prepared to move quickly through busy streets or around various
obstacles, knowing that their clothing wouldn't get in their way.
- What we have then is a metaphor for
readiness, for focus, even for a certain kind of discipline. You and I might
understand it best by saying, "Let's roll up our sleeves!"
- Peter tells them that they need to prepare
themselves mentally in the same way. Their minds should be focused, prepared to
act quickly and soberly.
- Today, we use the word "sober" to
describe a person who is not under the influence of alcohol. And while that is
not the primary meaning, it fits. I want to be free from unnessary influence.
- When you consider the two concepts together,
you get the idea of focus and discipline that is both positive in how you
prepare to live and negative in what you must disregard.
- In this day and age, more than ever, we need focused
discipline and discernment. It takes energy to keep ourselves ready for the
battles that are before us.
- Many of us sense a bit of relief when we have
made it past a particular trial. It's natural to "let down," to
relax. "Gird up the loins of your mind!" Keep sharp.
- At the same time, it's easy to get caught up
in things that are not germane to our walk in Him. "Have you read this
latest spiritual book?" "Have you heard the latest prayer
craze?"
- We are called to walk straight to our
Father's inheritance, but we love rabbit holes! Be sober. Have discernment to
know what is necessary and what is luxury!
- They were to expend their energy properly and
at the same time, understand with all confidence that God would give them greater
grace with each challenge!
- "Rest your hope fully." Put all of
your weight upon the assurance of God to come through on His end! Isn't it
interesting folks? Last week, you probably considered Peter a
"Calvinist!"
- "Election huh? What about human
responsibility Peter!?" Well, you asked for it!
- Live with all your heart focused on what you
need to do to walk with God and when you feel as though you have nothing left
to give, God will supply you with more grace!
- When is it coming? At the revelation of
Christ Jesus! Yes you are in a race now. Yes, you will feel as though you can't
go another step. But the end of the race is near and Christ will meet you!
- Anyone can endure anything when they know how
close the finish line is! That's Peter's point!
- "Gird up the loins of your mind and be
sober," as obedient, submissive children!
- In order to be submissive children, we must
first be attentive to the Lord. How would you gauge your attention span? What
are you prepared to do to ensure that He has your attention?
- I cannot obey what I do not know! When I am
in a submissive position, I know that I am not living the way I used to before
I knew Him! "I won't be conformed to the pattern of this world!"
- Our word "schematic" comes from
this Greek word. It's a blueprint design that the world conjures up for it's
people, which dictates that they live entirely for themselves!
- Before I knew Him, I lived in and for all of
my desires without any interruption. If I'm to be an obedient, submitted child,
I can't pattern myself around those desires any longer.
- That is inconsistent with my present
position! When you are a Christian, there is a "before" and an
"after" and the two cannot meet together! To try to indulge both is
the world's pattern!
- Instead, you are called to pattern yourself
after the Lord, who is Holy and His word to us is that we be as He is! What
does it mean to be "holy?" Most have a skewed view.
- They equate the word with
"otherworldliness" or "an aloof," distant character.
- Is
that the kind of holiness that Jesus exhibited? Jesus was holy and unbelievers actually
liked Him! So, what is holiness?
- Peter is quoting from three passages in Leviticus, 11:44,45, 19:2 and 20:7 respectively. The holiness of God
relates to His complete moral perfection which every other attribute hangs upon.
- Think about that in relation to what the
angels sing of Him. He is not thrice "Omnipotent." He is "Holy,
Holy, Holy!"
- Essentially, the reason Peter quotes this
here is the main quality of holiness that we must imitate. God knows what is
right in every situation and He never acts otherwise!
- His actions are never inconsistent with that
rule of who He is. Thus, as a Christian, we must not pattern ourselves after
the world in any way!
- We are to know what God requires of us and do
our best never to violate that knowledge. We are to live integrated with the
world but never contaminated by their system!
- This is why He has given us His Spirit to
testify to what God says is right and to convict us when we stray. He is
causing us to choose what our Lord would choose. Verse 17.
• I Peter
1:17-19 : "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges
according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay
here in fear; knowing
that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from
your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." : Our English word "since" would give the appropriate
sense of verse 17. "Since you
call on the Father." He is our Father and He is also the impartial Judge
of our service to Him!
- He will judge according to each one's work.
He will judge you based on what you have the capacity to do. He will not
unfairly put you against another, but He will not pass over you either!
- Peter reminds them and us that all will
appear before Him, not for a decision about salvation, but for a rewarding of
faithfulness to Him!
- The admonition to them and to us then is that
we would live on Earth, our foreign home, with a healthy reverence for our
position in Christ.
- Peter doesn't necessarily mean that we should
fear God, though, that is a given within any Christian. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom." (Proverbs 1:7)
- The idea here is the respect due against the
value that has been paid for our souls!
- "You understand that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things right?" What God did for you cost Him
greatly! Would you think about that for a moment?
- Have you ever purchased something valuable
for another person, only to watch them treat it with contempt? How did that
make you feel? Respect what it took for God to save you!
- It cost God everything to make something of
you! You have been redeemed, ransomed! In a world full of slaves who would do
anything to be buy their freedom, this was a rich metaphor!
- God could have snatched you and I away, but
He made a legal transaction. He purchased us. We are called to respect our
ransom and to remember our recent history!
- He paid the ransom out from under "our
aimless conduct," literally, our empty, pointless, way of life! Spiritually,
that is what every person on Earth lives if they live their lives apart from
Christ!
- Please don't misunderstand me or Peter. There
are many ways to live this life that are helpful to humanity. There are
wonderful innovations in technology and incredible charities for philanthropy.
- There are kind individuals that lead
communities and that leave a blessing after them when they leave this Earth.
But what a waste of life it is for a person to neglect a relationship with God!
- Anything less, given the disparity of time,
is a profound and incalculable loss! God took the initiative to buy us out of
that slavery to ourselves and to our heritage.
- The idea is that there wasn't anyone in our
life that was telling us anything different! We were just going along with the
flow until the Lord rescued us with the very precious, sacred blood of Jesus!
- I can't help but think of Peter's proximity
to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, when the Lord sweat tears mingled with
blood, which was only the beginning of His sorrows.
- Jesus was the Lamb without blemish or spot! Peter
is referring to Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb! Exodus 12 provides the details.
- The Lamb was to be selected and inspected
over a four day interval. It was to be of the first year and it had to be in
perfect condition.
- Physically, it could neither have a birth defect
or have sustained an injury in the course of it's short life. Please turn in
your Bibles to Leviticus 22. Moses
sheds light on what they were looking for.
•
Leviticus 22:21-24 : "And
whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill
offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there
shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or
eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of
them on the altar to the Lord. Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short
you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted. ‘You shall not offer
to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you
make any offering of them in your land. Nor
from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God,
because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be
accepted on your behalf.’" : As you
can see, there are birth defects or "spots," limb length, and there
are "blemishes," bruising or cuts.
-
"Without blemish" refers to being faultless and "spot"
refers to a freedom from defilement. In Christ, there was a lack of a sinful nature
in birth or a sin in practice.
-
Jesus was examined by the High Priest and except for trumped up charges, the
Lord could not be convicted. He was the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover
Lamb!
-
His death, like the death of the Passover Lamb in history, caused the curse of
death to pass over the people that had applied the Lamb's blood to their
physical doors.
-
When the Lord's blood is applied by God to the door of our hearts, spiritual
death is averted and we receive the life of God! We are bought and paid for. He
continues in verse 20.
•
I Peter 1:20,21 : "He indeed was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who
raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in
God." : What an amazing thought! Before
the world was created and before a single soul walked the face of this planet,
God set Jesus aside as our ransom!
-
God didn't simply foreknow His people. He foreordained the means by which they
would become His people, by foreordaining their Savior!
-
This was done in the secret counsels of eternity, without the aid of men or of
angels. God alone put His plan into motion and kept it hidden in plain sight.
-
As we remarked last week, the Prophets were given bits and pieces, but did not
receive a full picture. They were confounded by what they prophecied. That
isn't our condition!
-
Peter tells them that this was all manifest, made clear during these last times
for them. At this time, the full knowledge of Christ and His salvation, was
only three decades old!
-
All this was done for you to see! The world has become the stage of God's
redeeming act!
-
This is how we have come to believe and trust in the Lord. His death and
resurrection are historical facts that lead to an inescapable conclusion:
-
"There is a loving God that I can put my faith and hope in!" He
raised Christ and He will raise us as well! Verse 22.
•
I Peter 1:22-25 : "Since you have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love
one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and
abides forever, because
'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower
falls away, But the
word of the Lord endures forever.' Now this is
the word which by the gospel was preached to you." : Notice what has been settled between you and God: You have
purified your souls!
-
This is written in the perfect tense, meaning that this action has taken place
in the past, but has a lasting effect up until that present moment. Your souls
have been made holy before God!
-
Under the Old Covenant, there were diverse manners of ceremonial cleansing
prescribed over long chapters. Here, our purification is funneled down to
simply obeying the truth.
-
It's wonderful to consider how great the work of Christ is on our behalf! There
was no ceremony needed on the day that you trusted Him.
-
Yet, in the very moment that you submitted yourself to the truth of your need
for Christ's righteousness, God did for you what no ceremony could ever do!
-
Obedience opened the door of righteousness and you were declared right with
God! Then, through the Spirit, you began to experience sincere love of the
brethren!
-
This word "sincere" is used 6 times in the New Testament. It is
translated "sincerity" here, "without hypocrisy" three
times and "genuine" once.
-
Peter is telling them that this kind of brotherly love isn't phony or
manufactured. It comes with a purified soul!
-
By the way, understand that your faith in Christ should yield a love for God
and a love for His people. This is not an either/or proposition. They complete
each other!
-
In fact, opting out of one makes it suspect that you have the other! God hasn't
redeemed you just so that you are His. He has redeemed you to be a part of His
family as well!
-
Since that is the case, Peter commands them to continue to love one another
fervently. It's interesting here that there are two words used for love. There
is philadelphia and agape.
-
One refers to brotherly affection, the other to the duties that God's best for
a person requires.
-
They are to be committed to that fervently, meaning "to stretch out the hand."
This refers to intention. Peter is saying, "Make sure to love your fellow
brothers, even if it's a stretch for you!"
-
If I am to claim that Christ has done a work in me, I cannot do so without also
stretching my arm out to those that make a similar claim!
-
We are to love each other from a pure heart. The idea refers to a whole,
undivided heart, which is consistent with the nature that we have received from
the Lord!
-
I love Him and others purely because the seed of the gospel that has been
planted in my soul is healthy, good. Peter is telling them to trust the work
that God has done in them.
-
He is not calling you to act from your own nature. That is birth from the
corruptible seed. He has begotten you again by incorruptible seed.
-
The one is managed by your flesh, which calls you to love yourself. The other
is managed by the word of God, which calls you to love others as yourself!
-
When the word of God enters into my heart, and is obeyed in my life apart from
my feelings to the contrary, that seed grows up into a proper reflection of
what God intended when He planted it!
-
This is how the word of God is living! This is how it endures from age to age!
This explains what the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:6-8.
-
That chapter imagines a time in the future when God will restore His
relationship to His people. Isaiah sees a messenger coming with these words
regarding the transitory nature of man.
-
Every man is like the grass. He's here today and gone tomorrow! His ideas rule
in the moment and are forgotten in the next. Compare that with the Word of God!
-
It lasts from generation to generation and is embodied by new people who are
faithful to His call in their redeemed life.
Conclusion
- If we are to
live like Christians in this fallen world, we have to remember certain facts
about the Lord. What does this passage teach us about Him?
- First, He is
our Holy God. He never acts inconsistently with His character.
Therefore, imitate Him! Be holy as He is Holy! Don't follow the scheme, the
pattern that this world presents.
- Second, He is
our Redeeming God. He paid dearly for your Christian life with His own
blood! Therefore, respect what it took to give you this life and remember what
He rescued you from!
- Finally, He is
our Regenerating God. He has brought you forth from eternally pure and
good seed. Therefore, let His Word dwell richly in you, expressing itself in
love to God and His people!
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