(Audio version; Music: "Holy" by-Jesus Culture and "When I Get Where I'm Going" by-Brad Paisley)
Introduction
Generally
speaking, vanity isn’t really something I struggle with. I will say though that
getting old isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots
of great things that have come along with growing old—relationships that have
survived the test of time, wisdom refined by the fires of past mistakes, and a deep
and abiding relationship with Jesus—all wonderful by-products of growing old. However,
it seems like daily another part of my body reminds me of my advancing age.
This past week, I went to the eye doctor who confirmed that my eyesight has
gotten significantly worse. However, the fact that my physical body is failing as
I get older is not really the point I want to make. My point is, I can no
longer do many of the same things I used to do when I was younger. Mind you,
it’s not that I don’t want to—my brain says, “You can still run fast;” “You can
still jump high;” “You can still kick the ball hard;” “You can still lift a lot
of weight,” it’s just that my body can’t actually do what my brain says it can.
And that’s really what I want to address in this lesson. What happens when we
can’t do something we feel like we’re supposed to be able to do? At best, it
can be very frustrating and at worst it can be down right depressing. You’re
supposed to be a good husband or wife but for some reason you keep letting your
spouse down; you’re supposed to be a good friend but you keep letting your
selfishness get in the way of the most important relationships in your life;
you’re supposed to be a good student but you can’t bring yourself to always put
in the effort it takes to be your best; you’re supposed to be a successful
business person but you don’t always want to work that hard. It sometimes seems
so hard to always consistently be the person you were called to be.
As
aggravating as it might be when we feel like we’ve fallen short of the person
we’ve been called to be in our everyday lives, it is infinitely more painful
when we fall short of the person the Bible calls us to be. We are called to be
faithful, obedient, loving, kind, patient, gentle, good, just, and a myriad of
other qualities that many of us can get pretty good at over time. We’re
certainly never perfect but at least it’s something that we at least feel like
we can practice and get better at. But we are also called to be something else.
It’s repeated a number of times in the Bible and I don’t know about you but I’m
usually uncomfortable with it so I just gloss over it. Maybe you do too. I have
glossed over it my whole life because it’s one of those things I feel like I
just can’t do even though the Bible says that I’ve been called to do it. But I
think it’s time I take a deeper look into it and figure out exactly what it
means when the Bible says that we are Called
To Be Holy. And not only are we Called
To Be Holy, we are Called To Be Holy
the way God is holy. I don’t know about you but that’s a standard that I have
never believed I could reach. Nevertheless, we had better deal with it because
the reality is that we, as Christians, have been Called To Be Holy.
Subject Text
1 Peter 1:13-19
13Therefore, prepare
your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to
be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children,
do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But
just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for
it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17Since you call on a
Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here
in reverent fear. 18For 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 forefathers, 19but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Context
Where
Paul’s ministry was primarily directed toward Gentile Christians, Peter’s
ministry was directed toward Jewish Christians. Of course neither of the two
men withheld the Gospel from anyone. However, God seemed to guide each of them
along different paths in order to reach very different ethnic groups.
Consequently, Peter is probably writing this letter to Jewish Christians—Jewish
Christians who were forced out of Jerusalem because of their faith in Jesus and
were now settled throughout the various provinces of Asia Minor. It is likely
that Peter was writing this letter from Rome sometime between 62 A. D. and 64
A. D. and that’s important to remember because that is when the Neronic
persecution of Christians began to intensify throughout the Roman empire. It
was during Nero’s reign that Peter would be put to death. However, Christians,
in general, were the target of Nero’s brutality, being tortured and murdered.
Peter is offering instruction and encouragement to Christians who were no doubt
scared and confused. In the face of their awful circumstances, they were,
nevertheless, Called To Be Holy.
Text Analysis
13Therefore, prepare
your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to
be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Since v. 13 starts with “therefore,” we need
to understand the instruction preceding our Subject Text. Peter establishes a premise for his instruction in
our Subject Text in vv. 3b-7 when he
says:
3bIn his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and
into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for
you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming
of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your
faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
Christ is revealed.
Peter is
reminding them that through their faith in Jesus, they have inherited eternal
life. And the persecution they are having to endure is serving to refine their
faith which was more important than anything they could acquire during their
earthly lives. It would be their refined and genuine faith that would, in the
end, be their ultimate reward “when Jesus Christ is revealed.” These final
words are repeated also in v. 13 and
we’ll take a look at what that means shortly.
Vv. 3b-7
are the premise for Peter’s instruction in v.
13. Through their faith, they have received an inheritance of eternal life
through Jesus Christ and their struggle is being used by God to strengthen and
purify their faith. “Therefore,” they need to prepare their hearts and minds
for whatever persecution might befall them so that they will conduct themselves
with the knowledge of their eternal destiny. However, Peter has a distinctly
Jewish trajectory in his instruction to the Jewish Christians when he
references their “inheritance” back in v. 4. Let me explain, the Greek word for
“prepare” is probably better translated as “gird” because of its familiar usage
in the Old Testament. “Men wore long robes and would tuck them into their belt,
‘gird up their loins,’ so they could move more freely and quickly. Although the
image also occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament, here Peter may specifically
allude to the Passover (Ex 12:11): once God’s people had been redeemed by the
blood of the lamb (1 Pet 1:19), they were to be ready to follow God forth until
he brought them safely into their inheritance, the Promised Land.”[1] And
here Peter again uses the phrase, “when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Very simply,
what Peter is referring to is Jesus’ second coming. There is much that awaits
all those whose faith endures to the end—an inheritance of eternal life, praise,
glory, honor, and grace.
14As obedient children, do not
conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
There is a
common theme that plays out from the time Jesus started His ministry and
continued throughout the teachings of His apostles and disciples: Once you
become a follower of Christ, you can no longer do the same things you did
before you became one of His followers. Jesus inaugurated a new way of relating
to God and to others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spent a considerable
time orienting the people to a new way of doing life. Jesus would say something
like,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you
love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing
more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:43-48).”
Paul, too
reminds those who were given to his care that their lives should reflect their
allegiance to a new Lord when he says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual
act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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 (Rom 12:1-2).”
And now,
Peter is saying the same thing in v. 14.
Peter is saying, when you were ignorant, before you became a follower of
Christ, you followed the evil desires of your sinful nature. However, now that
you are a follower of Christ, you must no longer live that way. “All believers
are God’s children [cf. Jn 1:12]. As such, we are to obey God. Believers ought
not live in the same manner that they lived before they were saved. At that
time, they didn’t know any better, but now they should not slip back into their
old ways of doing evil. The evil desires still exist, but believers have a new
goal for their lives. They must break with the past and depend on the power of
the Holy Spirit to help them overcome evil desires and obey God.”[2]
15But just as he who called you
is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy,
because I am holy.”
And there
it is. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read the words in vv. 15-16 and every time I do, I am
left with an uneasy feeling. The first part is easy enough. We know God is
holy. We’re glad God is holy. Be honest, would you follow Him if He weren’t
perfectly holy? Probably not. But how in the world are we supposed to be holy
in the same way that He is holy? It seems impossible doesn’t it? Well it seems
impossible to me. Nevertheless, we, as followers of Jesus Christ are Called To Be Holy so it must be possible.
But what does it mean to be holy?
“As
majestic holiness and unquenchable love, God wills that his nature be reflected
in his people. Being a holy God he is satisfied with nothing less than holiness
in all manner of conduct. Being a loving God he strives to instill this love in
the people he has created and called to service in his kingdom. All people have
a vocation to holiness. We are all created for the glory of God. All are called
to fear God and to keep his commandments…People of faith, however, are
especially singled out for a vocation of holiness…Holiness is not wholeness as
the world understands it but faithfulness, perseverance in obedience. It means
wholehearted dedication to the living God through service in his name. To
aspire to holiness is to aspire to something other than a virtuous life or even
a fulfilled life. What makes a holy person distinctive is not so much adherence
to conventional moral standards as consecration to the Wholly Other, who stands
in judgment over all human values and aspirations. Holiness excludes not only
immorality but also mediocrity. It involves not only obedience to the law but
also zeal for the faith.
The
Christian’s life is characterized by passive sanctity and active holiness. The
Holy Spirit secretly works sanctity within us; our task is to manifest this
work of the Spirit in our everyday activities. We do not procure sanctity or
holiness, but we can do works that reveal the holiness of Christ. We do not
earn holiness but we can demonstrate, celebrate and proclaim his holiness.
Christ has broken down the wall of hostility that divides peoples, but we can
give concrete witness to this fact by being peacemakers and catalysts of social
change…
The
self-effacing spirit, so alien to the current cultural ethos that upholds
personal satisfaction and fulfillment as the goal of human existence, is the
salient mark of discipleship and holiness. Our mandate is not to make something
of ourselves but to wear ourselves out for Jesus Christ. Mother Teresa has
rightly observed that we are called not to success but to fidelity to the One
who has redeemed us…‘The temporal holiness of the saints is the service that
they render to the eternal holiness of God.’
Our peace
and confidence are to be found not in our empirical holiness, not in our
progress toward perfection, but in the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ that
covers our sinfulness and alone makes us acceptable before a holy God…‘The
foundation of our Christian peace is not in us but in Christ, not in our
holiness but in His righteousness, not in our walking but in His blood and
suffering.’ By being exposed to the holiness and love of God we are led to
imitate God and thereby give concrete testimony to our indebtedness to God. The
foundation of our holiness is not in our doing but rather in our being grasped
by Christ and incorporated into his body. Once we are in communion with Christ
we will want to do good works—to show our joy and gratitude to him. But our
works do not sanctify us; they provide the evidence that we are being
sanctified by the Spirit of Christ. The call of the Christian is to be a sign
and witness to the holy love of God, a love that must never be confounded with
human virtue but creates within us the will to be virtuous, to be loving and
holy. To be in the presence of Christ arouses within us a burning desire to
please Christ and to walk in his ways.”[3] It
is true that we are Called To Be Holy
but not by our own strength. We are holy not because of who we are but who we
are in relationship with. Christians are both holy and becoming holy because we
are in relationship with Jesus.
17Since you call on a Father who
judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in
reverent fear.
Sometimes I
wonder if some Christians honestly think they can fool God. They confess their
allegiance to God with their words but demonstrate their allegiance to the
world with their lives. Guess what? If that describes you, you’re not fooling
God. When Peter says, in v. 17, that
God judges each person’s work impartially, he is referring to how we conduct
our lives under the banner of being Christians. One of the hardest lessons I
had to teach my girls when they were growing up was to get them to understand
that the reason they weren’t allowed to do all the same things their friends
were doing was because we were called to be different as followers of Christ.
It wasn’t easy for them then and it’s not really any easier now—for any of us. But
it matters. It matters because it shows a lost and broken world that there is
another way to do life; a better way to do life. How will a world know there is
a different way to do life; a better way to do life, if our lives are merely a
reflection of the world around us? But if we were to live our lives as
strangers in this world, we will be a reflection of a different way of doing
life.
“God takes
character development seriously, so Peter highlighted God’s role as judge.
Membership in God’s family, although a great privilege, must not lead to the
presumption that disobedience will pass unnoticed by God. Judging here may
describe either God’s present dealings with believers in the development of
holiness in their lives or the time of judgment when Jesus Christ returns and
each person will give an account of his/her works…
God’s
judgment is not determined by outward appearance of pretense. Whatever faces or
masks people try to hide behind, they remain transparent to God. God’s judgment
deals with a person’s character, not simply one’s actions, which can be faked.
God is concerned with individual actions and the internal motivation behind
these actions.
In light of
this judgment, whether present or future, believers will not be quite so
anchored to earth and time. Instead, we focus on the hope of eternity and view
our life in this perspective. We view ourselves as strangers on earth. The term
means that we have ‘temporary residency.’ It describes a person who visits for
a short time in a country where he does not take out citizenship. This is the
perspective of the believer who lives with pain in the light of hope. This is
our viewpoint since we desire to see God forge his own holy character into our
lives, even when this involves pain. We desire to be obedient to the commands
of God even when it is difficult to believe because of the extremities of life.
Thus, we live life in reverent fear…
The
expression does not refer to terror or even to the fear of judgment or the loss
of reward. The expression could best be understood with the words ‘reverential
awe.’ This is the kind of positive awe that a son or daughter has toward a
respected and loved parent. This is the kind of positive awe that motivates a
child to shrink from whatever would displease or grieve his or her parents.”[4]
18For 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 forefathers, 19but
with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
The
backdrop of our salvation must always be the extreme cost of that salvation. We
have the privilege of being in relationship with God because God the Son died
for us. That has to mean something. The key word in vv. 18-19 is “redeemed.” We were slaves to sin and the sinful
desires of the world but Jesus, with His blood, redeemed us out of that world.
That necessitates that we should no longer participate in the sinful desires of
the world. “Their reverential awe before God, however, is not based simply on
their recognition of judgment, but on deep gratitude and wonder for what God
has done for them. Thus Peter reminds them of what the gospel has already
taught them, namely, the cost of their redemption…True and lasting value is
found in the ‘precious blood of Christ.’ There the imagery is that of the
Passover lamb, which was closely connected with redemption from Egypt. Thus
Christ the lamb was ‘without blemish’ and ‘without detect,’ a term used in the
NT for lack of moral corruption…In our context the two terms simply reinforce
each other and indicate the total perfection of Christ as sacrifice…The
readers’ “Egypt’ may have been cultural, not physical, but the price paid to
redeem them was far more than money, more even than the first Passover, for it
was Christ’s own blood”[5]
that was used as the currency to redeem them.
Application
[1] Craig S.
Keener, The IVP Bible Background
Commentary—New Testament, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p.
710.
[2] Bruce
Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary,
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 1106.
[3] Donald
G. Bloesch, Christian Foundations: God
The Almighty, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), pp. 158-160;
164-165.
[4] David
Walls and Max Anders, I & II Peter,
I, II, & III John, Jude—Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville,
TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999), p. 13.
[5] Peter H.
Davids, The First Epistle Of Peter—The
New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), p. 71-73.
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