Prepare Your Mind for Action

Today we are continuing our study through 1 Peter, which shows us the Gospel, the good news about Jesus dying to take the punishment for our sin, and rising to give us new life, is the very thing we need as we go through REAL life.

Last week, we looked at the opening of the book, where Peter laid the foundation for all that he will be sharing to encourage us. The foundation is the New Birth God gave us.

Just as we are born into our lives in this world through our mothers physically, God gives us a new birth, a spiritual birth, into a new life spiritually in this world. It is a change on the inside! It is a change in the very core, the very purpose of our lives.

Peter shared how this new birth gives us hope--a living, growing hope. The new birth gives us an eternal inheritance which cannot be taken away.

This living, growing hope is what we need as we face trials of all kinds. Hope lets us see clearly through the trial. Hope lets us see that the trial is temporary compared to eternity where we will no longer face the trials. Hope lets us see that God can even use the worst of trials to test us. Not test us to see us fail, but rather test us to see, and to show us, that our faith is real, and that it will result in Him giving us praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed--when Jesus comes back to take us to be with Him!

This new birth, with the new hope, and the new inheritance will fill us with inexpressible and glorious joy as we learn to fix our eyes on Jesus, and what He is doing in us and for us!

Today, we will continue on in our study, looking at 1 Peter 1:13-16. Here, we will see that the main command is to fix our hope on Jesus. This is something Christians say alot. "Fix your eyes on Jesus". It is even in the songs we sing and love. But what does that mean? How do we do that? That is what we will be talking about today.

As we have been doing this study, the secondary goal I have is to remind us all how to be good students of the Word of God. How are we supposed to study? You can come here, and I will share with you what I have studied. That is good, and needful. However, we all have the benefit of having God's word available to us, and we should all be studying.

In order to be good students of the Word of God, we must Handle it well, i.e. study well. How?

How to Study

Read the book, not books about the book.

Background: Look in the book to see the following. (If you cannot find it in the book itself, use a study bible or Bible Dictionary)

Who did the Spirit use to write the book?

To whom were they writing?

When?

What were the circumstances?

Outline: Read it again, and make a general outline:

What are the major sections of the book?

What is the theme of those sections?

Key Words: Read the book and look for words that are used repeatedly. This will give the major theme of the book. Pay attention to nouns and verbs.

Read a section.

Ask questions while you read: who is doing what, to/for whom, where, why, how

Add details to your outline.

Nouns and Verbs will generally be main points

Connectors and Prepositions: in, to, for, in order, that, because, therefore; These will show support for the main points

Define important Words/Concepts

Are there cross-references?

Always be looking for application.

Let's read this passage together. I will be reading from the New International Version.

1 Peter 1:13–16 NIV

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Peter begins this section with 'Therefore'. What he is about to say is based upon God giving us the new birth into the living hope that he talked about back in verses 3-9. Because of God causing you to be born into this living hope... you are to do something. What is it we are supposed to do?

There are 3 actions expressed in verse 13. Two of them are really giving detail on how to do the main command. The ESV expresses this well...

1 Peter 1:13 (ESV) 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.

The main command here is Completely Set your Hope...

A. Therefore (b/c New Birth) Fix your Hope

As we go through life, we can get our eyes, our focus on a lot of different things. We place our hope in a lot of different things. I hope to be there on time. I hope to have enough gas to make it to the gas station. I hope that as we approach the end of the month there is enough left in the bank to cover things. I hope that my spouse will love me and accept me. I hope that my kids will listen. I hope that people will think I am good enough. I hope that they will think well of me. I hope that my health will stay good/improve, whichever the case will be. I hope that I will get through this. I hope... What are you hoping in?

Where we place our hope is what we think will bring peace, satisfaction, joy. What is it that you hope in?

1. Completely

Totally, entirely, altogether

No room for division, or partial

Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

2. On the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

Just like Jesus looked ahead to the joy set before Him...

We need to look forward to the grace, the gift, being brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ!

Being brought - shows assurance that it is coming

It is not just a future 'will be brought'

It is present, He is in the act of bringing it now! That points to imminence, He could come at any time! Are you looking forward to it? He is coming! He reward is in his hand!

Revelation 22:12

Revelation 22:12 NIV

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

Colossians 3:23-24

Colossians 3:23–24 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Whatever we have to do today, let us work with all our hearts, for Him. He is coming with reward.

This points back to the praise that He wants to give us as we are faithful through the trials and testings He sends our way.

3. Preparing your minds for action

literally, "gird up the loins of your mind"

Exodus 12:11 ready for God to act

It is hard to keep you Hope fixed, if your mind is not prepared to take action.

When we don't prepare our minds, our minds get caught up in other things, or just have a hard time making the transition

Have you ever had someone ask you a question totally unrelated to anything you were thinking about? It can be hard to make that transition, even when you know the answer?

What is 12 x 13? 156

4. Keeping sober in spirit

What does it mean to be sober?

In brief, thinking correctly

Avoiding Mental intoxication or addiction, things which want to occupy our minds

Or, just avoiding the laziness that sets into our minds... letting them wander aimlessly

Peter uses this word in 1 Peter 4:7, and 5:8.

1 Peter 4:7 NIV

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

We need to be alert. Not allowing our minds to wander aimlessly. We need to be awake!

Why?

The end is near! Jesus is coming!

Wake up! the Devil is not sleeping! He is vigilant, looking for opportunities.

When do we sin, it is typically because we have not been preparing our minds.

It is because we have not been sober. Thinking properly.

Another way this word is used is in 2 Timothy 4:5

2 Timothy 4:5 NIV

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Keep your head.

Keep thinking rightly in all situations.

It is so easy to be caught up in the moment, especially when we are hurting, physically, or emotionally.

But it is in those times, that we most need to remember to keep our heads. To think rightly.

To be like Jesus and keep the perspective that only our Hope brings.

In all situations, our minds will be drawn to the immediacy of the moment.

It is an ongoing battle for the mind. But we need to train ourselves to, as Paul puts it...

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NIV

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Taking thoughts captive. Reigning them in. Don't let your thoughts run wild, or you mind to run away down the path of worry, fear, excitement.

Reign it in. Take the thoughts captive.

The battle of life is waged in the mind.

Only as we prepare our minds for action, only as we remain sober minded, will we be able to fix our hope on Jesus, and find GRACE and PEACE.

B. Be Holy

The second command given in this section is to Be HOLY.

Peter talked about how we are strangers and aliens/foreigners. Part of what makes us 'strange' is that we are to be holy.

Holy means set apart. Unique. Different.

We are supposed to be different than the world around us. Not different for the sake of being different, but different on purpose.

What is the purpose?

1. As obedient children

We have been given a New Birth. We are now children of God! So we should handle ourselves in such a way, that people will know we are a part of His family.

As we mentioned in 1 Peter 1:2, we are saved to be obedient to Christ. We are not saved to have a future in heaven. That is a part of the reward, the gift being brought to us. However, we are saved for the here and now. We are saved to be obedient.

What is it like to be obedient as a child? Well, a child does not have to know all the details. They need to trust the Father knows what is best, and how best to behave. They need to trust and obey.

That is what being holy is like. Being Holy means that I am unlike the world. I TRUST God, and I obey Him rather than just doing my own thing, or demanding to be equal with Him in knowledge and control.

2. Do not be conformed to evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance

Being holy means not being like the world around us. We will eat and drink, we will wear clothing, we will work, we will live in this world, and in the culture in which we find ourselves.

However, not all parts of the culture are good in God's eyes. Before, we could just go along with whatever was going on around us. We did not know any better. We were being molded into the image of the world around us, as we adopted their way of thinking and then acting on things.

However, God calls that our time of living in ignorance. We did not know the truth. We did not think properly, so we did not act properly.

We followed our own desires, which were evil. These were the passions, the things we longed for, and pursued. These are the things we think will satisfy, we think will bring joy and peace.

Notice again the thinking? Notice again the mind?

Being Holy begins in the mind, taking those thoughts, those passions and desires captive to Christ? Is this something God would have for me? Is this something God would approve of? Is this something God declares to be a right thought, right passion, right desire?

As we prepare our minds for action, as we think soberly, we will be holy.

3. As He is holy

This is the goal. To be like Him!! I love when my kids tell me they want to be like me. That is what God wants. I think that is why He created family: man, woman, children. It gives us a real picture of the kind of relationship He wants with us.

He wants us to love Him. He loves us as children, and He wants us to love Him, and want to be like Him.

That is a holy desire. that is something to set our minds upon.

And not only is that the desire to set our minds upon, that is the Hope we fix our minds upon. For God promised,

1 John 3:1–3 NIV

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4. For it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy."

This is what God has been writing from the beginning. His desire for us is to be Holy, as He is holy.

The Old Testament and New Testament are one in the same. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is what He wants for us, and is promising to us. This is where He is taking us.

Won't it be great to get there?

That is the joy set before us. So, let us fix our Hope on the gift being brought to us, being made holy like Him!

Let us prepare our minds for action, be ready because He is at work.

Let us be sober minded, not giving our minds over to the intoxicating desires of this world. Not giving our minds over to laziness, or numbness. Let's be alert and sober, thinking properly, bringing every thought captive to Christ.

Let's wake up in the morning, and set our minds, and let's make the conscious effort to set our minds, our hope on Christ throughout each day, come what may, keeping in mind where we are headed.