IGC Sermon: 1 Peter 1:13-21 (Ryan)

The Substance, Conduct, and Reason for the Command: set your hope fully on the fully revealed Christ in the future

1 Peter 1:13-21 “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. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

1 Peter is encouraging the church to keep living for Christ because our final destination is sure. A FUTURE REALITY. THE FULL REALIZATION OF THE CROSS IS COMING, NOT YET.

1 Peter 1:6 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,”

We are experiencing pain.

Peter is giving encouragement for the church who will at some point be in a trial of suffering.

Substance, Conduct, and the Reason of Peter’s command.

SUBSTANCE: Therefore - he is commanding something because of the prior verses. This means there is a basis for the command.

The actual command is to “fix your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Preparing your mind, being sober minded are participles setting the stage for the command above.

A person could be alcohol free but be drunk to other worldly things that prevent us from setting our minds fully on Christ.

People can even be too obsessed with church to the point we lose site of Christ.

The common graces like love, marriage, parenthood are going to come to an end.

That is why Peter is saying to look forward.

CS Lewis: there are far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.

1 Peter 1:4-5 “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The salvation is secure forever - 5 different words, how safe you are in Christ.

Even though we will feel inevitable pain now, we have a hope as certain as the sunrise in the morning.

The word hope is thrown around a lot. In the Bible Hope is a certainty.

Peter is not discrediting the pain. He recognizes it. But the hope is coming and it is soon.

CONDUCT: We must conduct ourselves in holiness.

Be holy yourselves in all your conduct.

It does NOT say be holy for me to accept you or to love you.

There is an implied connection in the command. Be holy because I have accepted you.

1 Peter 1:15 “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,”

EFFECTUAL Call: Not like a call you can choose not to respond to. You WILL answer When God effectual call.

1 Peter: 1:16 “since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

You must be holy because he has chosen us.

He’s already done all the work, now be who you are. To be who you really are. The difference between Christianity and all other major religions.

We cannot pursue holiness without knowing who Christ is.

1 Peter 1:17 “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,”

The respectful, reverential fear of the father.

But also so we don’t waste our time on earth.

When you die, you cannot use gifts, or evangelize anymore. The time is now to serve the Lord and build up the church.

Don’t miss the purpose of the reason why you are here.

REASON for Peter’s command. Why is he saying to focus on our future inheritance.

1 Peter 1:18 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,”

It was blood that we were ransomed with - not with silver and gold.

We are not saved with other people, it is a 1:1 experience between you and God. He redeemed us personally from our particular sins. Name is written in a Book! The Book of Life.

The full realization of Christ’s redemption for us IS TO COME. We still don’t even truly know what we’ve been saved from or what we are to become.