"Live to Be Holy"
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-16*
Title: 1 Peter 1:13-16 – “Live to be Holy”*
Introduction: *A great preacher once said, “The Christian is just a person who makes it easy for other to believe in Christ.” A great scientist said, “I saw that everything that came to pass in the life of Christ must be repeated in the lives of His followers.” And an author said, “Say not that you have royal blood in your veins, say not that you are born of God, if you cannot prove your pedigree by daring to be holy.”
Central Idea: As children of God we need to keep moving toward holiness.*
Main Transition: The picture that Peter is preparing this morning is one that should cause us great anticipation as fellow believers. Peter is reminding to prepare for action. We cannot nor should not stay still we cannot let our guard down. We then need to be obedient children of God, not willing to be like those around us but different, revealing to them the hope that is living within us. Finally, we must suit up holy lives. This means that we need to understand something about out God and what has happened to us in Salvation, this then should cause us pursue holiness.
I. Prepare for action (13)*
A. Be ready – Mentally
1. Before Peter will let us get ready he reminds us why we should get prepare.
a. 1st because of the work of the God –head in Salvation
b. 2nd because of the trials you are having to endure are resulting in purity and proof of your faith.
c. 3rd because your salvation has been prepared by the prophets and marveled at by the angels
2. because of all of this we now are ready to “prepare our minds for action.” I love that phrase.
a. It is a construction of three words – two of which take us back to the long robes of the day, which when one prepared for work or for running they would lift up and tuck into their belt the length of the robe, freeing their legs to move without tripping.
b. The other word means to set your mind
c. What Peter is saying is set your minds for a journey
Application: remember these are strangers in a foreign land, but more than that we included are strangers in an enemy state. It’s not time to let your robe down, keep ready to move
3. All of this is a physical image but Peter is relating it to our minds, He is saying don’t let your minds down, keep focused on the things of God.
Application: I think that the words of a 12 year old boy would be helpful to our understanding or what Peter is saying, “Did you not know that I had to be in my father’s house.” Those are the words that Jesus spoke to Mary when they found Him after three days of looking. He was engaging His mind to faithfully gird up and keep moving and ready to work.
B. Be self-controlled – Emotionally
1. In order to be sober minded we must be people who are self-controlled, able to see things without the distortion of worry or fear or the attitudes that follow.
2. Peter is getting right down to the basics with his readers. In light of all that was accomplished and continues to be accomplished on our behalf we must be able to be self controlled
a. even in the face of persecution from every side we can stand firm. Knowing who it is that we serve and the protection given eternally to us as believers.
b. How much more then should we demonstrate this when we are not facing intense persecutions, if you believe in the power of our God then you will inherently be self controlled in the face of whatever it is that you must face.
C. Be confident – in your Salvation
1. In order to prepare your minds for action you not only must have be sober in spirit, you also must “keep your hope fixed completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
2. This is not that we are hopeful that one day Christ will come again, it means that we are beyond a shadow of doubt and unchangeably sure, because we have the evidence and in fact and enjoying part of that grace which is our inheritance right now.
3. Peter develops the idea that our inheritance has already been given to us, we are enjoying some of it right now. We will enjoy the completeness of it at the revelation or the appearance of Jesus.
Illustration: Kenneth Wuest portrays this scene this way, “It is true that our reception of this grace is yet future. But the picture in the word used is of this grace being brought to us right now. That is, it is already on the way. It is on the divine menu. We have our justification the moment we put our faith in the Lord Jesus. It is ours forever. We are having our sanctification during our earthly life, namely, the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts giving us victory over sin and producing in us His fruit as we are definitely subjected to Him. We will have our glorification, namely, the transformation of our physical bodies at the Rapture. The first two courses on the divine menu, justification and sanctification, we are enjoying now. Peter exhorts us to set our hope perfectly, wholly, and unchangeably, without doubt and despondency upon our future glorification.”
Transition: Peter has laid out the fine china and the course we are to enjoy is to last for eternity, our waiter is at the door of the kitchen with our final course of salvation, now is the time to prepare our minds for action. What a wonderful illustration of the living hope we have as believers. Our waiter is none other than Jesus Christ and with Him comes the glorification of these broken and beat up bodies. This then is our call to action, get ready, prepare your mind, prepare your emotions, and be confident in your Salvation.
II. Be obedient Children of God (14)
A. Your inherited nature
1. Peter now turns the spot light directly at you and I as individual believers.
2. He calls us to be obedient children, or better said children of obedience. Our first responsibility as believers is to pursue obedience to God.
Illustration: Children inherit the nature of their parents. It is scary to realize that even though my kids were never around when I was their age they act just like me, this gives me great hope because my parents survived so can Lisa and I!! Of course this is also troublesome you begin to watch them act like you, talk like you, think like you.
3. As fallen humanity our nature is fallen and sin stained.
a. Yet, remember what you are now as a believer, your nature is still there for a while longer, but your now a joint heir with Christ, that means that you are child of God.
b. Peter’s message to you and I then is if you are a child of God ACT like one!!
c. Your not perfect yet, but you are a child of God and complete obedience should be our desire and the goal that we strive towards.
B. Act as a child of God
1. Just like it is natural for your child to act like you, so to is it true that as a child of God it is natural for you to act like Him.
2. As believers we have the distinct privilege and joy to be the only ones in humanity that have the ability to store up good works in heaven.
a. unbelievers cannot, as there are enemies of God
b. anything that they do before Salvation only works to condemn them because their own selfish motives get in the way, they falsely believe that going to church, doing good, giving to the poor and everything else can get them to heaven, that they do not need a Savior.
c. If this is you stop doing what you are doing, it is selfish you are trying to short circuit God, you are saying that you have a better plan then He does. You are an enemy of God, instead became a child of God and trust in Christ as savior as the only true sacrifice for sin and conqueror over death.
C. The costume of worldliness
1. The word for conform means to, “take on the outward appearance”
2. Peter is now exploring the opposite of a child of God, the lusts which belong in ignorance. Peter is saying that before you accepted the work of Christ on the cross you were influenced by ignorance,
a. so then why would you desire now to look like the world, the world will seek to fashion you, or conform you, but this can only be outward appearance.
b. So when you walk out the doors do you become like the world, can your unsaved friends see a difference in you and in your behavior? Do you still go out and indulge in the sinful things of this world, that is the lusts, it is not just immorality, but anything that the world uses to tempt you.
Application: We need to realize exactly what it was that Peter was calling these early Christians too. If there ever was a people group who needed to blend in it was them, hunted for their faith. Yet, I believe that Peter also learned his lesson the moment that the roster crowed the morning of Christ’s death. Peter had denied Christ for the last time that day.
Transition: In our world today we are not fearing for our lives. Yet, Peter is urging you and I to be different from this world, Romans 12:2 Paul says do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is. This is Peter’s message we should not mask who we really are. Stand Firm
III. Suit up holy lives (15-16)
A. You were called by ‘The Holy One’
1. You were called by God verses 1 and 2 of this chapter, but notice the change, here, Peter calls Him the Holy One.
a. The word Holy here is a noun which means that not only does this describe who God is, but it is the very nature of God.
b. We are likely well aware that the word holy means to be set apart from sin and evil. Now then notice our obligation
2. “be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”
a. You and I have just be called to live in all our behavior, a moment ago you called to obedience, a moment before that you called to prepare your mind for action, so how can we who are sinful creature be holy.
b. The word for “be” is a word that represents the state of becoming. In other words when you trusted in Christ as Savior you passed from being completely controlled by evil, to having the Holy Spirit reside in you, you in your own power cannot be holy, but you are no longer a slave to sin, you have the choice,
c. This means that we will still sin, but we should fight for holiness in our lives
B. Live up to your calling
1. When you trust in Christ as Savior you are a child of God, Act like it.
2. Peter quotes Lev. and says, Be Holy for I Am Holy.
3. Don’t masquerade around like the world those who love the world do not love God.
Conclusion: “Be Holy for I Am Holy.” Beloved, when you walk out those doors live like your Father, not your earthly father, but your Heavenly Father. Don’t be like the world, they are lost, they are hopeless, they are seeking you to fall so they can feed their cravings to fell better about themselves. Instead show them the living hope of Jesus Christ, this is reasonable act of service. This means that you are not settled in this world, but have the robe of your mind pulled up and are ready for action.
If you have not trusted in Christ as savior I plead with you not leave here today without finding the living hope of Jesus Christ, pull me aside and let me talk with you.
Believers listen to verses 15 and 16 again but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I Am holy.”