1 Peter Series 1:13-21 Our Faith, Hope and Holy Lives are in God

                                 Our Faith, Hope and Holy Lives are in God

1 Peter 1:13-21

Peter stated, for the saints to have “minds that are alert and fully sober” It is an admonition for today saints as well.

As I ponder this lesson, I am alerted to all that I have seen lately in our world. The push to take an emergency vaccine, even if it has severe side-effects. The political prophets on social media and corporate owned news services are warning of the coming doom of earth because of a perceived global warming. The rebellious groups who have taken to every large city of our country with vengeance, rioting, and protesting to a perceived injustice against authorities, whether police, military, or political authority. And continual removal and censorship of history and God from institutions of government, learning and literature. Peter understood all of these activities in his own days as well. Many physicians were just learning about the human anatomy and the functions of organs, and many were called upon to use their scientific understanding to heal and preserve life by using the bodies of the dead from the arena. The Roman political arena was famous for its bias and injustice to the common and the enslaved. Rebellions were a common occurrence in major and minor cities, and were dealt with force by the Roman military. Euthanizing culture and whole people groups was a political norm in cities where Roman and Greek cultures replaced the cultures and peoples who were conquered and colonized, and rooting out christian enclaves wherever they could be found. God’s message to Peter was that we must live holy lives as foreigners to the culture and worldviews of the majority. Let read the text,

“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’s words to the church didn’t seem strange but logical. They were to be alert to the degradation of sinful living, they needed to set their hope, faith, and life on the grace of God until the revealing of Jesus Christ’s coming in the last days. They frequently saw disobedience to the commoners by Roman authority, and masters to their slaves. The believers were to be obedient to the Word of God and to the leading of the Holy Spirit no matter the situation. Many understood how easy it would have been to turn back to the old lifestyle or the lifestyle of the world. He reminded them of the ignorance in living again in the debauchery of a sinful life. God had called them out of their past life to be holy, set apart for God because holy and godly living emulated the holiness of a holy God.

Application: Holiness is not preached as much in the church of today. We listen to homilies about living a life of virtue, but not in the midst of the sanctifying power of God. It is written, we live and walk by faith in Jesus Christ, and God said to “Be holy, because I am holy.” 

There is an old chorus, We are Standing on Holy Ground, in it it speaks of angels, and praising Jesus, and being the midst of His presence. Joshua when preparing for battle against Jericho, he met the Captain of the Lord’s army. Joshua fell on his face before the Captain of the Host because it was holy ground. Moses listening to God speak from the burning bush, took off his sandals because it was holy ground. Acts of reverence for God are acts of holiness, and if we say we are alert and sober, we should remember, the places that we walk with Him are holy ground. Some have said that holiness is the list of do’s and don’ts. I don’t disagree with this but it is misleading. Holiness is a lifestyle of living in the presence of God, not just a bunch of regulations. The great host of witnesses of Hebrews 11 are testament to holy living and faith. I could go through the list of men and women in the Bible who lived holy lives, but I hope you get my point. 

We are living in the last days, and we must live our lives alert and sober, not turning back to our old life, but clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we walk obedient to the Word of God. 

 Lastly, Peter reminds the believers of God’s expectations. “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

God alone will judge us, he is not influenced by any other. He judges impartially and justly. Peter reminds the sojourners to live as foreigners to the wicked and empty ways of the world. They were to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, redeemed by His blood to live lives worthy of being the children of God. They were chosen before the creation of the world, and they were privileged to have Christ revealed to them in their days upon the earth. Peter finished this paragraph with the elements of salvation: they were to believe in God through Jesus, the Son, who died and was raised to glorified life. And in salvation we believe by faith and hope in our God. 

Application - As I referred to pondering the world in which we have been placed by God. I wonder if we are truly living as foreigners to the empty way of living to the world’s standard. It seems if you truly want to live a holy life, you will be called a rebel or worse because we do not conform to their standards. I’m reminded of Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We ought to be alert to the enemies’ schemes and the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We should be sober, clear-headed, temperate, and earnest in living holy lives, that are pleasing to God. We will all stand before our God, and the Book will be opened and our works will be judged by fire “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 1 Cor.3:12-14

Therefore, let us live holy lives, pleasing to God who walks with us. We must remember that the ground in which we build our lives is holy ground, and what we build with (the works of our lives) will be shown for what it really is. We are built of the foundation of Jesus Christ, the Rock. It is His work of salvation on the cross that has redeemed us, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that fills us daily to enable us to live holy lives, for without the His Spirit we are just religious sojourners living by virtuous words of men.

Again I would like to post the ABC’s of salvation, I believe it is good to know how to lead someone to Christ or to seek Christ for salvation. 

A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it. And If you want more lessons go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis