The Sanctification of the Believer

INTRODUCTION

Last week we talked about “Our Great Salvation” from 1 Peter 1:10-12

Today we are talking about our response to this great salvation as we look at verses 13-16

Please take God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1

We have been learning up to this point that Peter has been giving special reminders to his readers to help them while they are persecuted for their faith

Last week it was about their salvation

Today it is about their sanctification

Sanctification is another way of saying being set apart

As believers, we are set apart to God, to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, and to God’s Word

In other words, we are called to be holy

Salvation and sanctification go hand in hand

You cannot have one without the other

Our salvation is not without sanctification

As Peter helps his readers who are suffering persecution, he commands them to “fix [their] hope completely on the grace to be brought to [them] at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (v.13)

The phrase “Fix your hope” is the only imperative in verse 13 and it is the proper response to our salvation

Everything Peter says at this point is in relation to hope

They are commanded to live expectantly, anticipating with “a living hope” their “inheritance … reserved in heaven … to be revealed in the last time” (1:3, 4, 5). (John MacArthur, 1 Peter).

Notice what Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13-16:

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NASB95)

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 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.”

Peter begins verse 13 with the word “therefore”

“Therefore” takes us back to what he has already said in verses 10-12

It could be translated “since”

Since the prophets prophesied about the Messiah and made careful searches and inquiries about who He was and when He would appear in His sufferings glories, and since they were serving you in these things, and it was preached by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit,

You are to respond in 5 ways:

First you are to...

I. Prepare Your Mind for Action (v.13a)

The Authorized has: “Wherefore, [gird up] the loins of your mind”

In Peter’s time the common attire was a garment that reached the ankle or knees and had to be tucked into the belt at the waist when engaged in physical labor.

We get this idea when the Israelites were eating the passover and preparing to leave Egypt

Exodus 12:11 (NASB95) — 11 ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover.

When Peter speaks of “girding up the lions,” he is speaking metaphorically to refer to the “mind”

This is why the NASB translates this as “prepare your minds for action”

Girding the mind means to get serious about getting down to work for Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB95) — 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

It is to pull in all the loose ends of one’s thinking, by rejecting the hindrances of the world and focusing on the future grace of God (John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible)

Ephesians 6:14 (NASB95) — 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

Colossians 3:2 (NASB95) — 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

“Girding your minds” is “a decisive action” (Hiebert)

How you “prepare your minds for action,” is to...

II. Keep Sober in Spirit (v.13b)

“Keep sober” is one word in Greek

It is the Greek word nepho

It is used in the present tense and should be translated “Keeping”

This is an ongoing action

We should always “keep sober”

The word itself means “to be free from the influence of intoxicants” (W. E. Vine)

It is used here metaphorically to refer to “self-discipline”

D. Edmond Hiebert says, “It denotes a condition free from every form of mental and spiritual loss of self-control; it is an attitude of self-discipline that avoids the extremes of the “reckless irresponsibility of self-indulgence on the one hand, and of religious ecstasy on the other.” (D.Edmond Hiebert, 1 Peter, (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1997), 91.)

Lenski adds, “This is the opposite of infatuation with the things of this world, [it is] a calm, steady state of mind which weighs and estimates things aright and thus enables us to make the right decision.” (R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude, (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1966), 52.

The philosopher Diogenes Laertius, who lived in the 3rd century wrote, “It is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul.” (Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, ed. R. D. Hicks, (Kansas City Missouri: Harvard University Press, November 1, 2005), 657.)

One of the Apostolic Fathers, Clement, who led the church in Rome during the first century, wrote, “Therefore, brethren, let us repent forthwith. Let us be sober unto that which is good: for we are full of much folly and wickedness. Let us wipe away from us our former sins, and let us repent with our whole soul and be saved. And let us not be found men-pleasers. Neither let us desire to please one another only, but also those men that are without, by our righteousness, that the Name be not blasphemed by reason of us.” (Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers, (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 91.)

Peter uses this word again in 4:7 and 5:8 to encourage spiritual alertness in prayer and in resisting the attacks of the Devil

Paul used this word in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NASB95) — 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

He also used it in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NASB95) — 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

He used it in his second letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5 (NASB95) — 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Preparing your mind and being sober in spirit are just two aspects of sanctification. A third, and the point of the entire text is...

III. Fix Your Hope on Future Grace (v.13c)

As stated earlier, fixing your hope is the only imperative in verse 13

Girding up your mind and keeping sober in spirit is how you fix your hope on future grace

The word for hope is elpis (ἐλπίς, 1680), and in the NT it means, “favorable and confident expectation” (W.E. Vine)

Paul speaks of “hope” in Romans 8:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

So hope is “confident expectation”

The Scriptures give us hope

Romans 15:4 (NASB95) — 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Faith and hope are similar in meaning

Both involve trusting God

The only major difference between the two is one involves the present and the other involves the future

Faith appropriates what God has already said and done in His revealed Word, and hope anticipates what He will yet do, as promised in Scripture.” (John MacArthur 1 Peter).

Peter says to “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”

That is trusting the promise of God as revealed in Scripture concerning the return of Jesus

When you suffer that is what you are to “fix your hope” on, Jesus’ return

William MacDonald says, “The assurance of Christ’s Return is held out as a compelling motive for endurance through the storms and tribulations of life.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

This is not partial hope or hope which doubts if it is true or hope with reservations

It is hoping “wholly— to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent.” (Rick Brannan, Ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, 2020.)

It is hoping “fully” with no reservations or doubts

“the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” is referring to the object to which hope is directed

Kistemaker states, it “is the equivalent of the two terms salvation (vv. 9–10) and inheritance (v.4). The believers, then, focus their attention on their salvation.”

Jesus is the object of their salvation and ours

Being ready and alert with your hope fixed on Jesus also implies a life that cultivates holiness. Peter says in verse 14...

IV. Do Not Be Conformed to Your Former Lusts (v.14)

Peter has already given an imperative in verse 13

He begins verse 14 with the expectation of following that command by referring to his readers as “obedient children” or literally “As children of obedience” (Hiebert)

Peter is calling his readers to not “form or model after” sin

When you are suffering there is the temptation to sin rather than persevere

James 1:13–18 (NASB95) — 13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

Peter identifies what those “former lusts” were in 4:13

1 Peter 4:3–4 (NASB95) — 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you.”

All this was done in “ignorance” but not now

All sin must be mortified

Paul said in Colossians 3:5 (NASB95) — 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

The AV says, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth...”

John Owen writes, “Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” (The Works of John Owen, 6:9.)

You have to do what Paul did in 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NASB95) — 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

The key to this is in Romans 8:13 (NASB95) — 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

It’s not just the Holy Spirit but it’s you too!

You must be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5:18)

When you’re “walk[ing] by the Spirit…you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Col.3:16)

Everything culminates in this last point. The alternative to conformity is holiness” (David Walls).

Peter has said to prepare your mind, keep sober, fix your hope, not be conformed and now he says...

V. Be Holy in All Your Conduct (vv.15-16)

God is Holy

Peter calls Him “the Holy One” (v.15)

Isaiah called Him “the Holy One of Israel” (Isa.47:4)

He is “Holy God” (1 Sam.6:20), “Holy Father” (Jn.17:11)

God calls us to holiness (v.15)

We are to be holy “in all [our] behavior” (v.15)

Albert Barnes says, “That the model or example in accordance with which they were to frame their lives, should be the character of that God who had called them into his kingdom. They were to be like him.” (Notes on the New Testament, 126).

This is “a definite yielding to the indwelling Holy Spirit, to enter upon a course of holy conduct” (Hiebert).

It is walking by the Spirit as you’re filled by Him

God is the standard (v.16)

Peter quotes and summarizes Leviticus 11:44–45 (NASB95) — 44 ‘For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 ‘For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”

Leviticus 19:2 (NASB95) — 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:26 (NASB95) — 26 ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (NASB95) — 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

CONCLUSION

God is the standard and Christ is the grace brought to us

We must fix our hope fully on Him and live our life as those whose hope is in Him

From this passage, we see that Peter gives every believer what they must do when they are suffering persecution

But first you must make sure you are truly His

Do you know who the Savior is? The Lord Jesus Christ?

Believe in Him today by repenting and turning to Him

Let’s pray