Living Hope Should Lead to Holy Living
Living hope should lead to holy living
1 Peter 1:13-25
Intro:
A. Next week we are going to look at the first 12 verses of chapter
B. Our focus next week will be on the living hope we have in Jesus
Read verse 13
C. Use of the word “therefore” tells the readers to think back to what was just talked about
D. In light of that, Peter goes on to say “here is how you should live”
E. The title of the message is “Living hope should lead to holy living”
1. A better understanding of what is necessary for a holy life
2. A better understanding of what it is to live holy
I. If you are going to live a holy life you need to have a right frame of mind (vs. 13)
• Each of the things Peter mentions here in verse 13 has to do with the mind
• Because the right frame of mind is essential to living holy – Phx Suns
• What can we do to ensure we are in a right frame of mind?
A. Gird up the loins of your mind
1. What does that mean?
• Those whom Peter was addressing would have understood him
2. Men wore long robes
a. The robes were fine for a normal casual day
b. But they were not if you had to travel quickly – walk quickly or run
c. They were not if you had to do strenuous work
d. In those situations, the robe would be a hindrance
3. What did the men do?
a. They had belts around their robes
b. They would pull up their robes and tuck it under their belts
c. When a man did this, he was prepared for whatever it was he needed to do
4. We need to have our minds prepared for whatever it is we need to do to live holy
lives
a. How do we prepare our minds?
b. We start with the renewing of our minds
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
1) To be conformed to the world is to think like the world, to look
at things the way the world does and act like the world
2) The transformation God wants for us happens through the
renewing of our minds
3) Warren Wiersbe
• The world wants to change your mind, so it exerts pressure from
without. But the Holy Spirit changes your mind by releasing
power from within. If the world controls your thinking, you are a
conformer; if God controls your thinking, you are a transformer.
• God transforms our minds and makes us spiritually minded by
using His Word. As you spend time meditating on God’s Word,
memorizing it, and making it a part of your inner man, God will
gradually make your mind more spiritual
c. When we make ourselves spiritually minded we further the process of renewing
our the mind
1) The more our minds are transformed; the more we want to live holy
• To be spiritually minded is to have your thoughts directed towards spiritual things
• The right frame of mind we want - is to be spiritually minded
2) If I want to be spiritually minded, I need to spend lots of time in the word
3) If I want to be spiritually minded, I need to stay in an attitude of prayer
5. The mind is important because that is where spiritual battle are won and lost
a. Your sinful nature, the world and Satan, does not want you to live a holy life
b. Satan will do whatever he can to keep your mind off of God and spiritual things
c. What ever I fill my mind with the most is what is going to dominate my thought
life
B. Be sober
1. This is more than not being intoxicated
2. The word in the Greek means
• being free from every form of mental and spiritual excess and confusion, be self –controlled, be clear-headed
3. A person who is intoxicated is not clear headed, does not think straight and loses
their balance
4. We need to keep ourselves free from things that have the same effect upon us
spiritually
a. Living in sin or pursuing a sinful course of action
b. We need to keep our emotions from controlling us
c. We need to limit the influence of the world upon our minds
5. Clear thinking will enable you to see things as they are and act accordingly
C. Keep our eyes on the return of Jesus and the completion of our salvation
1. I believe that is what Peter meant when he talked about the grace to come
2. What does it matter if I keep my eyes on Jesus’ return or not?
3. Warren Wiersbe
• Christians live in the future tense; their present actions and decisions are governed by this future hope. Just as an engaged couple makes all their plans in the light of that future wedding, so Christians today live with the expectation of seeing Jesus Christ.
• A Christian who is looking for the glory of God has a greater motivation for present obedience than a Christian who ignores the Lord’s return.
4. If my eyes are fixed on the things of this world, then that is the direction my life will
take
5. If my eyes are fixed on the things of Jesus and His return, then my life will head in that direction
Colossians 3:2 (NKJV)
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
• “When we are consumed with the reality of Heaven, Christ is free to Consume us on earth. When we realize that final gain is there and then we are free to live for Him here and Now”
• Read verses 14-21
II. What does it means to be holy and why should we live holy lives? (vs. 14-21)
A. What does it means to be holy?
1. The word holy first of all means
a. Set apart for God’s use
1) The temple, the priest and the items in the worship of God were
considered holy
2) That is because they were set apart for service unto God
3) They could only be used for service to God
b. It also has the idea of being different
2. Let’s apply this to our lives
a. When we were born-again, we were set apart for God’s use
b. Our lives are to be lived for His purpose – our lives belong to Him
c. As people who have been set apart, we should be different from those of the
world
3. Let’s look closer at what holiness look likes
a. Legalism
• Legalism is the imposing of rules and laws that people use to judge a persons salvation or your level of spirituality.
• We don’t want to mistake legalism for holiness
b. Legalism is based on human traditions, where as holiness is based on the word
of God
• Read Matthew 15:1-9
• Pharisees thought of themselves holy because they obeyed the traditions of men, but failed to keep God’s law
c. Legalism seeks to gain acceptance by God, where as
holiness is an outgrowth
of our acceptance by God.
• Legalism says, “if I just pray enough, or if I just read the Bible enough, or if I just go to church enough, or if I give enough money to church o, I’ll be accepted by God.”
• Holiness says, “I’m already accepted by God, not because of anything I’ve done, so I will do those things
• Our acceptance of what Jesus did for us is the only criteria for His acceptance of us.
d. legalism is an outward performance, where as holiness is an inward change,
which manifests itself outwardly
e. Legalism is based on law.
Holiness is based on grace.
•
A life of holiness is one that is lived in gratitude for the grace God has shown you.
• Legalism looks to fulfilling the law in hopes of gaining favor with God and men.
4. Holiness is
a. accepting that I am already accepted of God, because I have accepted what Jesus has done for me. Not trying to earn God’s acceptance
b. is allowing the inner change to continue that holiness will manifest itself outwardly. Not trying to perform to gain God’s favor
c. Living my life on the basis of God’s word, not the thoughts and ideas of men
B. Why we should live holy lives?
1. Because we are God’s children (vs. 14)
a. We used to be children of the world (disobedience)
1) We spent our lives fulfilling our desires
1 Peter 1:14 (GNT)
Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those
desires you had when you were still ignorant.
2) We lived in ignorance of who God really is
3) We lived only with a sinful nature
b. As believers, we now have a new nature – one like God’s
• That simply means we have Christ like characteristics
c. What we find is that the old nature is in constant opposition to our new nature
1) What do we do?
2) This is why we need to have a right frame of mind
Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
3) To live by the Spirit or walk in the Spirit is to rely upon the power of the
Holy Spirit moment by moment
d. Peter refers to his readers as obedient children
1) Obedience is a part of living a holy life
• Not because you have to in order to be accepted by God, but because it is the right thing do
2) We can also see that though we may struggle with the flesh, we can over
come and be obedient
2. Because God is Holy (vs. 15-16)
a. To live holy does not mean you will be perfect
b. It does mean you will live a life that reflects character of God
c. We need to remember that how we live does reflects upon God
d. The fact that Peter mentions this means it is possible to live holy lives
3. Because living holy shows our reverence for Him (vs. 17)
1 Peter 1:17 (NIV)
Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
• We have the same opportunity to be reward as any one else
4. Because of what it cost Jesus (vs. 18-19)
a. He redeemed us – this is something those in Peter’s day would understand
b. Redeem means “to set free by the payment of a ransom” – buy back
c. for a Jew - People or property could be redeemed by a close relative
d. For the gentile it might be freedom from slavery – they could buy their freedom
e. All mankind are slaves to sin and need to be set free
f. Freedom from sin cannot be had through money or even good deeds
g. It takes the blood of a Lamb
John 1:29 (NKJV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
h. Unlike the gentile slaves, we cannot purchase our freedom, but thankfully we
don’t have to
5. Because Jesus was foreordained to be our savior (vs. 20-21)
a. Before mankind was every created, before the heavens and earth were created
• God put forth His plan to save and redeem mankind
b. That plan included Jesus being the lamb slain before the foundations of the earth
Revelation 13:8 (NIV)
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
c. Why did God go through with His creation if He knew man would sin?
1) Because He wanted a relationship with man that was based on love and
free will
2) True love relationship with God is one based in part on choice
3) If God did not make man with free will, He would only have a relationship
with those who did what they were programmed to do
d. Knowing that man would sin and choosing to die for them should cause us to
want to live holy lives
Read verses 22-25
III. If we are going to live holy, we have to be holy towards our fellow believers
This is as important as our holiness towards God
A. Because we share the same spiritual birth (vs. 23-25)
1 Peter 1:23 (NCV)
You have been born again, and this new life did not come from something that dies, but from something that cannot die. You were born again through God’s living message that continues forever.
1. Everyone comes into the family of God the same way
2. Our spiritual birth comes by the Spirit of God and the word of God
B. We share the same spiritual birth because we accepted the truth of who Jesus is (vs. 22)
1. But obedience to the truth of God’s word is not a one-time thing, but a daily choice
2. Obedience to the truth purifies or cleanses us
a. It does not mean you are sinless
b. It does mean you will sin less and less
3. It is this obedience to the truth that enables us to love one another
a. Kenneth Wuest said this about Phileo love
• a love called out of one’s heart by the pleasure one takes in the person loved. It is a love of “liking.” One likes another person because that person is like himself in the sense that that person reflects in his own personality the same characteristics, the same likes and dislikes that he himself has. It is an affection or fondness, a purely human attachment for another, and perfectly legitimate. This particular Greek word for love was used advisedly by the inspired apostle.
b. Though we were strong in Phileo love, God was calling them to a greater love
1) An unconditional and sacrificial love – agape
2) One of the mark of a holy life is agape love
3) That agape love is to be expressed fervently
4. We are able to see that we share the same love
Conclusion
A. As we come to understand the living hope we have, it should compel us to live holy lives
B. If we are going to live holy lives, we have to begin with our minds – get in the right frame of
mind – become spiritually minded
C. As we allow God to continue to work in our lives the outgrowth will be holiness
D. The part we play is obedience, but holiness is not something you can force or else you end up
with legalism
E. We now know why we should live holy
F. We also saw the importance of our relationship with others in holy living