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January 1, 2023
1 Peter 1:13-21

Title of the sermon: New Year Commitment To Holiness

Bill Vaughan said, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” From what we have seen from our text so far, I belive if one were to tell Peter that quote in the first century, I am convinced that Peter would respond with things like, “There is no room for pessimism in the Church.” “The future is brighter today than yesterday.” “Our hope is more sight this morning.” “A new year marks another step closer to the restoration of all things and the salvation of our souls.” ¶ This morning, we will now see Peter focus their applicational attention on holiness. ¶ Therefore, we too will be equipped from the text this morning. Equipped with the simplest of plans for the new year, 2023 and the next year and the next year—if God wills—as we wait in hope as our first century family did.

13 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 mechanics of the letter changes at this point. Peter had been speaking more theologically, but he shifts now more towards imperatives–telling the people how to respond.
• This is not happenstance. First must come the gospel and with it, its theological truths, then comes the application of those truths. (Marshall, p 49)
• We see this shift with the first word in verse 13, “Therefore”.
• Therefore should make us pause to recap what Peter said before the “Therefore”.
• Let’s glance at them starting at verse 3, Peter lists all the benefits that the Church has because of Jesus’ resurrection:
• Firstly, God has caused us to be born again…
• v 3, …to a living hope:
• v 4, Peter defines the living hope: an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
• v 5, We are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
• v. 6, We may grieved by various necessary trials.
• These trials’ purpose is found in v 7, so that our faith is proved genuine.
• v 9 we see, We are obtaining the outcome of our faith, the salvation of your souls.
• And in verse 10 and 11, we are reminded that everything is coming to pass just as the prophets predicted because they wrote through the “Spirit of Jesus.”
• If you and I can’t get excited about these promises then one or more of three things is going on with us: 1) We have gotten too close to the world. 2) We are not paying attention to the words we are reading. 3) We just don’t believe the words God has given us to drive our hope from here to Him.
• I’m hopeful and almost sure that non of these mistakes describe us this morning.

Now we see the first direct applicational point of Peter in verse 13: preparing your minds for action,

• prepare = gird up = a metaphor derived from practice in antiquity. EXPLAIN IT (Thayer, et al.)
• This is an AORIST MIDDLE PARTICIPLE used as an IMPERATIVE. Its form denotes that a decisive act of personal choice is demanded. (Utley)
• The Christian life is about choice.

v 13 again being sober-minded,

• The Church was told to not have what Barclay called, “intoxicating thoughts.”
• An intoxicating thought for the first century church would be, “I should not suffer in trials.” or “The world should treat us fair.”
• The churches needed to be clear thinkers = to be sober in the N.T. is to “be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate,” carefully aware of all circumstances¹ (Thayer)

APPLICATION

• Our minds need to engaged in the truth of God firstly: this is sobriety for the Chritian mind.
• If there are disconnects between God’s truth and our lies that we refuse to dispel, we are dead in the water on that particular truth.
• We live in a culture that believes they make truth. Example, “I don’t believe that.”
• We need to stay in a state of readiness of change in our minds towards the word of God.
• God is patient. You and I are going to learn that God is truthful, the hard way or the way of wisdom.

TRANSITION

So here we see that the Church needed to prepare their minds for clear thinking. Now we will see what Peter told them to think about. Verse 13b.

13b set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

• Scripture is repeating some main ideas here. We too shall happily repeat them now.
• Now we see what each person had to choose to do …
• “Set your hope” = one word in Greek = look for, expect [hope] (LSJ)
• "It is no accident that ‘hope’ is a noun in v 3, a verb (imperative) in v 13, and a noun again in v 21 (Michaels, p 52).
• It’s both an object and an action. In other words, we are supposed to “Hope on hope.”
• Our hope needs to be “fully” set. The Greek word for “fully” may also mean “perfectly, completely” (Thayer); “without wavering:—to the end” (Strong)
• “… the thought is: ‘Make up your mind decisively!’”[74]
• “The … phrase ‘pull yourselves together’ would express the meaning.”[75]
• The substance of the hope that Peter commands is found in 13b “the grace to be brought to you when Jesus is revealed …”
  • On the grace.
  • WE DON"T HAVE ALL OF THE GRACE YET.
  • This is grace on top of grace.
  • At the revelation of Jesus Christ.
  • revelation = laying bare, making naked …
  • In other words when we see Jesus with our own eyes!

ILLUSTRATION

• [Spurgeon described the grace that we possess as being so big as to make] unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river said, “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for [you].” Or, it seemed after the seven years of plenty, a mouse feared that it would die of famine, and Joseph might say, “Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for [you].” Or, a man away up on a mountain saying to himself, “I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.” But the earth might say, “Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for [you].” Little faith will bring our souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to us. (Cowman p 72 f)

APPLICATION

• The grace that will be brought to us is not the grace we experience here and now, but the hope of the future grace is suppose to have its effect on our here and now. (cf. Micheals, p 56)
• Is our hope 100% set on the grace God is going to bring to us at the revealing of His Son?
• If 100% of our hope is on that, then there is no hope left for the details of this life.
• Things are terrible here = “My hope is not for this place.”
• Things are getting worse. = “My hope is not for this place.”
• Each day should bring a stronger sense of hope because we are closer to it than the day before.
• Jesus and His NT authors have told us these things again and again. We need to wise up. We need sober thoughts.

TRANSITION

Peter explained that the Church was to prepare its mind for action and clear thinking; now he will explain what they ought to be thinking about as they focused on their daily living. Verse 14.

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

• Father / child relationship >> Obey
• Do you like it when your children disobey you? God doesn’t either.
• conformed = resemble; assuming the same form (Webster)
• Don’t go back to your old, ignorant ways of life.
• passions can mean > desire // lust, a desire for what is forbidden
• Former ignorance (lack of knowledge)
• Once we did not realize that our common, worldly goals and desires were evil. But now, as God’s children, we have no excuse for any continued ignorance or for us “conforming” our “lives to the pattern of the sinful world.” (Marshall, p 52)
• Brown wrote, “The desires which are natural to men while they are unrenewed, are the principles which regulate their conduct and form their character. One man loves pleasure, another loves money, another loves power, another loves fame. The ruling desire, or lust, is the principle which forms the character and guides the conduct.” (p 93)
• Ancient passions >> remember how Paul described them >> animistic passions.

15 but [we see a contrast here] as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

• #1 reason we pursue holiness: our God is holy.
• Nobody likes, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
• We don’t have that here. We have instead “Do as God does.”
• Father / child relationship >> be like Father.
• God’s holiness is the only attribute that is ever mentioned three times in succession. "The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy.
• Sproul noticed that, the Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice." (p 25)
• Holiness is a central theme in the Bible. DeYoung commented that, The word ‘holy’ occurs more than 600 times in the Bible … The whole system of Israel’s worship revolved around holiness. That’s why we read about holy priests, with holy clothes, in a holy land, at a holy tabernacle, using holy utensils and holy objects, celebrating holy days, living by a holy law, so that they might be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (p 31)
• In 1 Peter we see that, the “Gentiles [were] invited to stand before the God of Israel with the same privileges as the Jews and, more to the point in our passage, with the same responsibilities: ‘be holy… .’” (Michaels, p 59)
• They were to be separated in—look at it in v 15, in “ALL” of their conduct. There’s that word again. COMMENT
• Why do we struggle with sin?
• Romans 13:14 gives powerful insight: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (underline mine)
• We allow provision for it >> food and shelter for the flesh.

A FEW QUOTES HERE

• Micheals wrote, “Holiness is the mandate given to Christians as describing our day-to-day conduct. The is true of all believers always and everywhere.” (p 59)
• Barclay wrote, “There is laid on the Christian the task of being different.”
• John Brown wrote, “Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervours, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills.” (p 94)

APPLICATION

• Setting our hope on our assured future with God is necessary for daily holiness.
• The more we are emotionally and physically invested here our hope will be diminished.
• We need to re-calibrate some of our thinking:
• Our future in in heaven.
• We may be called to suffer great trials here.
• People will mistreat us.
• This is not our home; our passports read “Heaven.”
• To be double minded is to be part time in the kingdom of God.
• We are commanded to be different. We are commanded to be holy.
• We are commanded to be uncommon.

TRANSITION

Peter explained, that holiness should be the focus of their efforts. He now turns their attention to the why in verse 17.

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, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

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,

• "We call. "
• It’s always close in the text: What God has done and doing with our human responsibility and human response.
• “As Father” infers I am in the child relationship.
• He called you, you called Him > you wanted this!
• #2 reason we purse holiness: we are headed to a personal judgment from an impartial Judge.
• When is the last time you prayed, “Heavenly Judge …”
• NOTE: There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.
• But we are headed to God’s courtroom as Christians, am impartial judgment, with no last name drops, no connections to call the prosecutor, no sympathetic juries.
• Barclay wrote, For the “Christian is a man for whom there is a day of reckoning. He is a man with a destiny to win or to lose.” (Barclay)
• Our deeds will be measured by God’s holiness.
• Second part of 17, “Conduct yourself” = manage yourself
• The phrase “conduct yourselves” is one Greek word = to turn upside down, overturn; to turn back. “Do a 180.” The exact opposite of who you were.
• = Live your life in the opposite way in which you used to live in ALL areas of your life (word, thoughts, and deeds)
• “With fear” > reverent respect
• Fear = understanding who we are in relation to our God who creates with words.
• “throughout the time of your exile” = your whole life.
• 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers,
  #3 reason for holiness: Ransomed from = bought out of slavery (the slavery of futile ways (worthless ways) inherited from grandpas.
  • Adam’s sin nature passes from person to person through the males of the earth.
  • Part of the work of Christ’s death and resurrection paid for this piece of our participation.
  • We were in Adam’s lineage (his progeny, his offspring). He also was our federal headship.
  • Look at the price paid in verse 18b, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. COMMENT

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 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.

• 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world COMMENT
• but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you COMMENT
• 21 who through him are believers in God,
• “Though” >> Will of the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.
• who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
• Purpose: so that your faith and hope are in God.

ILLUSTRATION

Years ago a hydroelectric dam was to be built across a valley in Maine. The people in the town were to be relocated and the town itself submerged. ¶ During the time between the initial decision and the completion of the dam, the town, which had once been well-kept, fell into disrepair. Why keep it up now? ¶ Explained one resident: “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no work in the present.” —Source Unknown.

• We need to maintain our holiness because #4 reason, God raised Him form the dead and gave Him glory.
• Implied: He will raise us and give us glory as well.

Note

¹ Thayer used “circumspect”: carefully aware of all circumstances (Wordnik)

Works Cited

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Most Works Cited. Please click here to access the web-page for all of the works cited, save those above–if any. Most of the works cited on the linked web-page correspond to the verses they are outlined with. In the case of background information and other general reference citations, one will find cited material with the Bible books the citations are associated with. ¶ Furthermore, all citations with URL linked, numbered notes are from Thomas Constable’s, “Dr. Constable’s Expository (Bible Study) Notes.” These links are preserved “as is” at the time of this work’s formation.

Other Works Cited

Brown, John. Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of the Apostle Peter. R. Carter, published in 1855, (Public Domain).

Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. Streams in the Desert. Zondervan, 1965.

DeYoung, Kevin. The Hole in Our Holiness. Crossway, 2012.

Marshall, I. Howard. 1 Peter. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Ed. Grant Osborne, et al., InterVarsity Press, 1991.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. Word Biblical Commentary: 1 Peter. Ed. David Hubbard, et al., Word Publishers, 1988.

Sproul, R.C. The Holiness of God. Tyndale Momentum, 2006.