1 Peter 1:13-25

Our small group splits up the facilitating between different members. Last night was my night, so I prepared a few thoughts just to help us work through the passage. I thought I'd post them here.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Peter is again putting out a call to be self-controlled. A righteous lifestyle is important. Nothing done well is ever done casually. Make purposeful strives to live as God would have us live.

This can be done, knowing that it is not our living in which our hope is placed, but in the grace of Jesus.

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Reconciled with God, we now live in a Father/Son (Daughter/child) relationship with Him. We therefore obey Him as a good Father and seek to please Him out of love.

We are called to be holy, not simply live sinful lives under grace. God loves what is good and hates what is evil, we should as well.

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

We recognize that it is not from man that we should seek approval, but from God. God’s judgement is just and a reverent fear of that judgement is warranted.

18 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 forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

It isn’t out good behavior, self-control or the approval of men (even those in the church) that has saved us, but the sacrifice of Jesus.

For some, the life handed down from our forefathers is the church. Without Jesus, even a church life is empty.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Our salvation was always in God’s mind. There is nothing in our lives which Jesus cannot cover.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Does that mean we are purified through our obedience. No, but through our obedience to the truth that Jesus is the only way to the father.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God.

24 For, "All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."
And this is the word that was preached to you.

Our salvation and the spirit within us is not perishable. We can hold fast to the hope that God is eternal.