A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS
1 PETER 1:13-19 NKJ
1 PETER 1:13-19 NKJ
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
OBSERVATION:
One of the benefits of reading all the way through the New Testament is that we get the whole picture. We can't skip over the more challenging passages and only read our favorite verses.
The context of this letter from Peter is a church undergoing persecution. You would think the exhortation would be to simply endure until Jesus comes, but this letter looks at the situation with a different eye.
Girding up the loins of your mind would imply getting a grip on your thoughts and attitude.
As obedient children of God don't conform to the way you used to live before you were enlightened to the truth. Instead, conform to the One who called you. God who calls us is holy or separate, so we are to live holy, separate from the world around us.
Don't allow the word holy to throw you. It is not the unobtainable standard that few can reach. Rather it is adopting a lifestyle that is different from the world around us.
Holy means we do not think, act, speak, and conduct ourselves the way we did before coming to Christ. It is a process that we are always growing into.
Peter goes on to call these believers to live with a respect for God during their stay on earth. That is a different way of looking at life. This world around us is not the end. It is not our final destination. We will not be here forever.
So we live knowing that we were purchased out of sin and darkness by the precious blood of Jesus. It cost a lot to save us, so we are to live like people of value.
APPLICATION:
Much of Peter's letter involves truth and then a response to truth.
The God who saved us and called us is holy. That's truth. So, we are to live holy. That's the application of truth.
There is great wisdom in these verses that we can absorb into our hearts and lives. In our thinking, we can begin to look beyond the temporary and rise up to live as high value people with an eye on eternity.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Father, for purchasing me and calling me to a higher way of life.