Be Ready Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
The first word in our text verse tonight is “Wherefore” - It’s a word that looks back to what was just written.
It means, “on which account.” - Several times in our Bibles, it’s translated as “for which cause” - wee see this in Romans 15:22 “For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.” and 2 Cor. 4:16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
In the context here, the word refers back to the blessings of salvation which has just been emphasized in the preceding verses.
We’ve spent eight weeks so far looking at these blessings of salvation, so before we get into tonight’s text, let’s review them.
The “hope” of verse 3.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
The “inheritance” of verse 4.
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
The “keeping” of verse 5.
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The “rejoicing” of verse 6.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
The “privilege” of verse 12.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
These blessings ought to prompt and inspire us to something…What is that something? Well, that’s where verse 13 comes in.
What we believe is only valuable as it is mixed with how we behave.
Often our principles never become practices. Skeptics study the Bible but are never changed by its truth.
Karl Marx who laid the foundation for Communism had Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John memorized as a teenager, but died an atheist. But what about us?
Are we aware of a truth that we are not practicing daily?
We might think we are doing alright because we are not outwardly sinning like so many, but the book of James is hard on that kind of Christianity...
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Revival could come in an instant if every Christian would make one more decision: to keep all the decisions that we have already made.
Romans 2:21 (KJV 1900)
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?...
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
The book of Peter here gives us several things that we should do in light of the salvation that God has given us as His children:
The first thing the Bible tells us here is to:
Be Girded
Be Girded
That’s a strange word isn’t it? We don’t use it much anymore, but in Bible days the common attire for men was a robe.
Now, right off the bat, when I think about this, I’m thankful for the invention of pants…this garment made it very difficult to move quickly.
The phrase “gird up the loins” in verse 13 carries the idea of taking the lower portion below the knees and tucking it into the belt and thus freeing the legs to run faster.
Girding your robe would give you, sort of, shorts; that’s the best way to picture it.
Now, here’s why I’m talking about this...
Often the things of life slow us down as we move forward for Christ, like wearing a robe would physically. God desires that we be at peak performance in our running of the race that He has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV 1900)
1 ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
These robes would impede the person from running or moving fluently. In modern day vernacular it would be like saying “take off your jacket and roll up your sleeves.”
Now,
I want you to notice three things tonight concerning this verse...
1-A Spiritual Mind
1-A Spiritual Mind
Now that we understand what the word “gird” is, the Bible tells us our text:
1 Peter 1:13 (KJV 1900)
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind...
F. B. Meyer wrote, “Our souls are clad with the flowing garments of various tastes, appetites, affections, and propensities, which hang loosely around us, constantly catching in the things of the world, and hindering us in the Christian race. We must not let them stream as they will—or we do so at our peril.”
The battle always starts in our brains. How we think determines how we live. No one ever does right or wrong without first thinking about what he is doing.
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV 1900)
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...
It is our responsibility to discipline our thinking and pattern our thoughts after Christ and His righteousness. Surrounded by a wicked world, right thoughts are not automatic but rather the result of a disciplined way of living.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
People often say after they sin, “I just wasn’t thinking.”
Oh, they were thinking alright! They just weren’t thinking correctly.
Think about this, the prodigal son in Luke 15, the son then leaves and goes off to a far away country and begins to squander all of his money. In a moment of clarity, the son realizes his mistake and realizes that he had not been using his head. Verse 17 in that passage literally says, “And when he came to himself...”
That prodigal son was thinking when he did all that he did, he just wasn’t thinking correctly!
The Bible teaches plainly that it is our choice as to what we think. A daily surrender of our thoughts to Christ will bring about proper lives.
2-A Sober Manner
2-A Sober Manner
1 Peter 1:13 (KJV 1900)
13 ...be sober...
Peter is teaching the Christian’s to focus their minds on the Lord Jesus.
The fact that we will all stand before the Lord should help us to be sober minded. We are to take action and gird up the loins of our mind and we are to be spiritually attentive.
Our spiritual attention will have direct influence on our mental attention.
A person that is not living for Jesus, serving Jesus, and faithful to Jesus is not spiritually attentive.
This is not a suggestion or a request, but a command. The Holy word of God tells us to be sober.
Now, everyone these days wants to be happy. We see it everywhere, the only thing that’s important is your happiness, after all, if we are not happy we become discouraged and depressed.
Here’s the thing though, when you read the Bible, you’ll find that God is more interested in our holiness than He is our happiness.
Listen to me right now, Satan often appeals to our happiness, but God commands us to be holy.
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
True joy and happiness will be a by-product of living properly for God.
5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God:
Listen, this is so important for us to understand:
Happiness will never produce holiness, but holiness will produce happiness.
3-A Surprising Moment
3-A Surprising Moment
1 Peter 1:13 (KJV 1900)
13 ...and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
We will have to continue this next week, but I entitled this message, “Be Ready” - be ready for what? The return of Jesus Christ!
Why are we to gird up the loins of our minds, why are we to be sober? Because Jesus is coming back!
Nothing needs to take place prophetically for Christ to return in the rapture.
We are to hope to the “end” which means we are to set our hope completely or fully on the grace that we will receive at the revelation of Christ. Christians are not to hope half-heartedly or indecisively, but with finality, without any doubt concerning the promises of God...
If you read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 which describes this great event shows us that the Apostle Paul was anticipating that the Lord would come during his lifetime.
Twice he states, “then we which are alive and remain.”
Hey, if Paul was looking for Christ to come in his day, how much more should we be living with that event in mind? There will be no warning—we must always be ready.
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Peter tells the Christians in 1 Peter to rest their hope on the grace that will be brought to them at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Three different times within thirteen verses Peter mentions the consummation of their salvation at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We hear a lot of stuff today about living your best life now, and being prosperous on earth but Peter didn’t have in mind a temporal deliverance from their immediate circumstances, but an eternal deliverance.
Conclusion
Conclusion
William Barclay wrote, “For Christians, the best is always still to come. They can live with gratitude for all the mercies of the past, with resolution to meet the challenge of the present and with the certain hope that in Christ the best is yet to come.”
Because Jesus is coming, we are to
1 Peter 1:13 (KJV 1900)
13 ...gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end...