A Call to Holiness - 1 Peter 1:13-16

Introduce the Sermon

My Aim

That we would set our hope in Christ and Pursue holiness.

Scripture

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Prayer

Father, thank you for all the many blessings that you have given to us. There are many things that you have given us to be thankful for. Father, during the next moments, I ask that you speak through me. That the words I say may be filled with only truth. Father, I ask that you convict me similarly to how you have convicted me during my preparation. Father remove me, let the message that Is presented come from you to your people. Convict those who are listening to the sermon today. Above all, may you be glorified through the gathering of your people. In your son’s heavenly name we pray, Amen.

Introduction

Because Peter begins with the word “Therefore,” I find that it will be important for us to look at what Peter is saying before our text. First, we should understand who peter is writing this letter to. Peter is writing this letter to a group of persecuted Christians. His primary message for this letter is to commission those who are in Christ to live lives which show obedience to the Lord in all there circumstances. Whether they are being persecuted or whether they are being embraced they bear witness to who they are by reflecting who they are in Christ.

In the beginning of Chapter 1 we see that Peter is reminding the people that have been born again to a living hope. Let’s look at verses 3-4, “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”

We must understand that the audience of the letter would have been thinking, “yes we know what is to come by being born again. We understand that there is going to be an inheritance for us. But Peter, What about right now? What are we to think about when we are being persecuted daily?”

Peter understands that this would be a concern for those who are being persecuted. Thus, he provides the people with Two Commands. The first Command, “is to set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The second command, is that those in Christ will be Holy in all of their conduct.

Set Your Hope Fully on the Grace that will be brought to you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Peter knows that when being persecuted what have to be called to action. We are not to live in a passive way but we have to actively set your hope on Christ. However, Peter does not just leave us in the dark. Instead, Peter shows us how we can actually set our hope on Christ.

1. Prepare your mind for Action

If you are reading the from the ESV, like myself you will notice that at the bottom it will explain that some translations will say, “girding up the loins of your mind.” Peter is using this figure of speech to show that we are to be ready for action at all times. See, it was common in the culture to wear something that would be similar to a robe, you may have seen a roman Halloween costume that is similar. So, when they would run or preform some type of activity, they had to tie up their clothing. In our culture this would be similar to someone rolling up there sleeves before doing some kind of work. Peter is using this to say be ready for action. Always be prepared.

We see that in Luke 12:35–40 Jesus says to his disciples, ““Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”” Jesus is showing us that we do not know the hour that Christ will return. Much like in Christ’s teaching, Peter is emphasizing that the time which Christ will return is not known. Thus, we must be ready at all times. Staying dressed for Action, Preparing our minds for action. We must not be passive as we await for the coming of Christ. We must not just look like the world, rather, we are to prepare our minds.

We must know the truths of God, so that when people ask us, why do you have hope in such a broken world. We need to be prepared to say exactly why we have the hope which we have. We must provide an answer that would allow for us to explain how we have our hope. How we know that our inheritance is secure.

2. Being Sober-Minded.

Peter is calling the people to remain sober-minded. This is not the only place that Peter calls the people to this action. He does it again later in 1 Peter 5:8 he says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter explains that being sober-minded is important because the devil is actively seeking someone to devour. Listen to the comparison that Peter is making. the devil is actively seeking someone to devour, much like a roaring lion would seek after their prey. With this understanding it is clear that we are not to live in a way where we are not aware of what is going on.

Being sober-minded means that we don’t let ourselves be captivated by any type of influence that would lead us away from sound judgment. Church, it is very tempting to just hear the phrase sober-minded and say to yourself that you do not partake in alcohol so this does not apply to you. Run from this train of thought. Because you could very well be under some form of influence that would lead you away from sound judgement. But because you hear this and say to yourself that you are sober-minded souly because you don’t partake in drinking, you present a chance to overlook a sin.

Ask your self, are you sober-minded when you are anger, fearful, stressed, or do you have any addictions that lead you way from sound judgement.

Be Holy in All Your Conduct

Those who are in Christ are distinct because they are obedient children of God. 1 Peter 1:14 says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,” There was a time when believers in Christ did not know Christ. Much like you and I before our salvation lived in ignorance. We pursued the passions of the flesh. We followed our own desires. Instead of following the Will of God.

Now, because we are children of God because we are saved and have the inheritance which is guarded by God and kept for us in Heaven. We are called to live in a way that would reflect God’s character. Much like how a son sees his father or a father figure and seeks to act and look like him, we to should look and act like our Father in Heaven who is Holy. As humans we seek to be like those who we love and respect. Peter is calling the people to do the very same thing.

1 Peter 1:16 says, “since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” This is a direct citation from Leviticus 11:44–45 For the Scriptures say, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”” Peter is reminding the people of who they belong to. They Belong to the Lord who is Holy. It is the duty of a Christian to pursue holiness. We must do so in all the conduct of our lives not being limited to just when it is deserved or easy for us. We are commanded to be Holy in every way.

Charles Spergeon says this about holiness, “I believe the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him.” Is this how you look at yourselves. Spergeon is making it known that the more you become like Christ, the more you will understand the weight of the sin that still remains in you. Do you see sin in this light?

Conclusion: Call To Response

There are many things that we can put our hope in work, relationships, money, even ourselves. However there is only one true Hope that we are able to have. This is the hope that come with salvation in Jesus Christ. This hope is meant to purduce holiness in you. If you do not know this hope, then turn to Jesus. Repent of your sins and call upon him for salvation. It is through this salvation that we are able to have true hope. If you have this hope, pursue holiness. Prepare your minds for action. Be ready at all times to give an account for the hope you have in Christ. Be aware and remain in sound judgement so that you will be able to live according to God’s will.

Prayer

Father, we come to you as a people who want to know you more. we pray that you would convict us of where we are not pursuing holiness. Make us aware of our sins, not being passive in our faith but actively pursuing holiness. But God, we recognize that for us to be Holy, we must depend fully on you, we must keep our minds set on Christ. Father I pray that you empower us to act as those who are obedient children because of the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray this In your Son’s heavenly name, Amen.