Get Your Mind Ready

I Peter 1:13-16

April 9, 2006

Pastor Calvin Tan

1 Focus upon the coming grace and salvation of God (v.13)
a. Gird up the loins of your mind (v.13a) Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:3-5
b. Be sober (v.13b)
c. Hope to the end for God’s salvation (v.13c)

2 Focus upon obedience (v.14)
a. Do not be conformed (v.14a)
b. Reason: No longer ignorant of God (v.14b)

3 Focus upon holiness (v.15-16)
a. God is holy (v.15a) Psalm 99:9
b. God has called believers to be holy (v.15b)
c. Scripture demands holiness (v.16) Lev 11:45

This passage begins the longest section of First Peter. Remember: the believers were suffering terrible persecution. They had lost their homes, property, money, possessions, and friends. They had been forced to flee for their lives, perhaps carrying only what they could by hand. They were being persecuted because of Christ. They were living for Christ and proclaiming the salvation and hope of eternal life in Him. People were willing to hear about salvation, hope, and eternal life in Christ; but they did not want to hear about repentance, that they had to repent in order to be saved and to receive eternal life. They were just like people of all ages: they did not want to hear about righteousness and godliness, about a Lord to whom they had to give all they were and had. Therefore, the people turned against the believers. The believers had fled into other countries trying to escape the fury of the persecution. They were naturally disappointed and experiencing the dread of fear. They needed to be encouraged and strengthened to continue on for Christ. But what was the best way for Peter to do this? What could be said to encourage a people who had lost everything and were having to flee for their lives?

There was only one message that could encourage and strengthen them: the glorious message of the gospel of salvation. They needed to keep their eyes upon the grace and salvation of God. This is what Peter had preached. Up until now he had proclaimed the wonder and greatness of salvation. Now something else was needed. When we are facing the trials and temptations of life, it is not enough to keep our eyes upon salvation. We must also act; we must do some things. When we undergo the trials of life, whether persecution and suffering or temptation and sin, we must act. We must dedicate our lives to God, and we must get our minds ready. We must concentrate upon some things. We must focus and zero in on three things in particular.
1.Focus upon the coming grace and salvation of God (v.13).
2.Focus upon obedience (v.14).
3.Focus upon holiness (v.15-16).

1 Focus upon the coming grace and salvation of God (v.13) Remember: grace is the favor of God showered upon us. We do not deserve His favor, for we have not believed God, not perfectly. We have disobeyed, transgressed, cursed, neglected, ignored, and rebelled against God. Nevertheless God has favored us. He loves us; therefore He has provided a way for us to be saved. He has sent His Son into the world to take all of our transgressions upon Himself and to bear the judgment for us. This is what is meant when Scripture says that Jesus Christ died for us. He took the guilt of our transgressions against God upon Himself, and He bore the judgment and punishment for us. This is God’s grace to us, the great favor and blessing which He has bestowed upon us, even our salvation. We can now be saved from sin and from death; we can now live with God eternally. But note a critical fact: we are not in heaven with God yet. We are not saved from the presence of sin and death yet. We are still living in this world and in the presence of evil and corruption. We shall be delivered some day; we shall be perfected and never know sin and death. But we are not there yet. However the day is coming, the day that is known as the glorious day of redemption or the glorious day of our salvation. The glorious day is coming, the day when Jesus Christ shall burst open the heavens above and return to earth to save and perfect us eternally. Therefore pursue that day; pursue the grace, the glorious salvation of God that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Go after God’s grace—diligently go after it. Make sure, absolutely sure, that you do not miss God’s grace. Pursue God’s grace and salvation by doing three things.

a. Gird up the loins of your mind (v.13a)
This means to gather up all loose thoughts; to gird up your mind and thoughts; to concentrate and focus your attention upon your coming salvation. During Peter’s day men wore robes, and they wore a belt around their waist. When they were set on some strenuous action, they gathered up their robe and tightened it under the belt so that the robe would not flop around and hinder their work. The believer is to gather up the loins of his mind, gather up all the loose thoughts and focus and concentrate upon the grace and salvation of God. He is to strain to control every thought, to focus upon...
?whatsoever things are true
?whatsoever things are honest
?whatsoever things are just
?whatsoever things are pure
?whatsoever things are lovely
?whatsoever things are of good report
?if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things? (Phil. 4:8).

Note how clearly and simply Scripture states this: we are not to allow our thoughts to roam about and harbor thoughts of lust and worldliness. We are to focus our thoughts upon things of virtue and of praise. We are not to allow thoughts that tear down our moral and godly fiber. Scripture is even more clear and forceful in another passage: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.?2 Cor. 10:3-5 The very warfare of the believer is spiritual and mental. Therefore, the believer must...
•cast down imaginations.
•cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. •bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Imagine—every thought is to be captivated for Christ. “Believers, gird up the loins of your mind. Gather up all the thoughts of your mind and focus upon the grace and salvation of God.? Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; (Romans 8:5-6). 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 n 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. (Romans 12:1-2).

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5). to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephes. 4:23-24). Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Phil. 2:5). and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Col. 3:10).

b. Be sober (v.13b) Be “sober?means two things:
Not to become intoxicated with drugs or alcohol of any kind. To be sober in mind and behavior; to be controlled in all things; not to be given over to indulgence, license, or extravagance. It is the opposite of indulgence, of indulging in anything such as eating, drinking, recreation, or whatever. It means to live a sober, solid, and controlled life.
The believer is to be sober as he pursues the coming grace and salvation of God. He is not to indulge and gratify his flesh in... •drugs or alcohol, food, sleep, recreation, sex, clothing, possessions position, recognition, authority, •power, pornography, vehicles, relaxation The believer is to live a well-balanced life. He is to be sober, controlled, solid, and steady. He is to keep all things in the proper place. He is to be sober, focused and concentrated upon the grace and salvation of God. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 1 Thes. 5:6-8

c. Hope to the end for God’s salvation (v.13c)
Our hope must be kept alive. There is a dead hope and a lifeless hope. A dead hope is the hope that so many people have, the hope that they will be acceptable to God when they die. But they seldom think about the fact; they just let their hope lie dormant in their mind. It is the hope, the feeling that most people have, the feeling that God would never reject them, not in the final analysis. Whatever life there is that follows death—they are not sure what it will be like—they feel they will be okay and acceptable. They are not perfect, but they are not unacceptable to God. This is a dead hope, an occasional thought that they will be okay in whatever life follows death. Note the exhortation of Scripture: hope to the end for the grace and salvation of God. Begin to hope now and keep on hoping to the very end. This is a living hope, the hope demanded by Scripture. Pursue, seek, and go after the grace and salvation of God. Hope for it and keep on hoping for it. Hope until the revelation of Jesus Christ. He is going to rent the clouds above and return to earth and save us from the sin and death and the evil and corruption of this world. Therefore, hope and keep on hoping, pursue and keep on pursuing, for the coming grace and salvation of God.

2 Focus upon obedience (v.14)
There is a sharp contrast in this verse. Note exactly what it says. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14). The phrase “obedient children?means children of obedience. That is, believers are to be so obedient to God that obedience becomes the basic trait of their lives. Obedience is to be so characteristic of our lives that we can be called children of obedience. However, in contrast to being children of obedience is the phrase “fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts.?As stated this is a sharp contrast. It pictures us as children of lusts. That is, we used to be so given over to our own desires, to doing our own thing, that we could be called children of lusts. This is not a pretty picture, but it is exactly what a person without Christ is: a child of desire, a person who lives just like he wants to live. He does what he wants to do instead of what God says to do. He obeys himself, his own desires, not God and His Word. Therefore, he is a child of desires, a child of lusts. What kind of lusts or desires are being talked about? All kinds. There are the lusts and desires for... Money, sex, popularity, authority, property, position possessions, food, recognition housing, clothing

a. Do not be conformed (v.14a)
Man must have the necessities of life. God made him to desire these things. But when we begin to desire and lust and crave these things it becomes wrong. Our focus and concentration in life becomes the lust of these things, getting more and more of them and gratifying our flesh. The lust of the flesh and of the eyes will enslave and consume us. This is a fact of human nature that is too often ignored and neglected. Note why: because of man’s ignorance.
Man is ignorant of God. Man does not know God, not personally, not in a close relationship that fellowships and communes with God day by day. When man thinks of God, he thinks of some misty Being or Force who is far away in outer space someplace, too far removed for us to relate to Him in a personal way. Therefore, man feels that he is free to do his own thing and to go his own way through life. And before man knows it, lust has gripped his life. Whatever it is that excites him or gives him purpose in this world, that thing enslaves man. The result is either obsession or emptiness. The person is either controlled and dominated by his lust or else left in despair and discouragement because his lust does not satisfy him.

b. Reason: No longer ignorant of God (v.14b) God is not far off and removed from man. God has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, man is to look at Jesus Christ and see God, and he is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Man is to obey God; he is to obey God so much that he will become a child of obedience. The world and its lusts are no longer to control our lives. The Lord Jesus Christ is to dominate our lives. We are to focus and concentrate upon Him and the glorious grace and salvation that He is to bring at His revelation.

3 Focus upon holiness (v.15-16)
Holy means to be righteous, pure, sinless, and godly; to be perfect, complete, and fulfilled in every possible sense; to be separated and entirely different from all other beings and things. The believer is to be holy, that is... •righteous, pure, sinless, and godly. •perfect, complete, and fulfilled. •separated, entirely different from all who live worldly. There are three reasons why believers are to live holy lives.

a. God is holy (v.15a) He is the very embodiment and perfection of absolute holiness. God is the embodiment of absolute righteousness, purity, sinlessness, and godliness. God is the very embodiment of absolute perfection, completeness, and fulfillment. God is the very embodiment of absolute separation—different and set apart and separated from all else. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. Psalm 99:9;

b. God has called believers to be holy (v.15b) God has called believers to be holy in all of life. God’s very purpose in saving us is to have a people who will be just like Him and who can live with Him eternally. God’s purpose is for us...
•to be holy, righteous, pure, sinless, and godly.
•to be perfect, complete, and fulfilled.
•to be separated from the world and set apart unto Him.
God does not want us corruptible and dying with the world. God wants us holy; He wants us set apart to be just like Him. God wants us to live with Him eternally. But to live with Him eternally, we must be like Him: we must be holy. Therefore, we must pursue, seek, and go after holiness. We must live holy, pure, righteous, and godly lives. We must seek and go after God; we must seek to be like God while on this earth. If we do, then God gives us the most glorious of hopes: the hope of eternal salvation.

c. Scripture demands holiness (v.16). It is written in Scripture: “Be ye holy; for I am holy?(Lev 11:45; 19:2; 20:7, 26). We have no choice: this is the command of Scripture itself. If we wish to be God’s, then we must live like God. We must live lives that are holy. to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Luke 1:74-75;

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Cor. 7:1; And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3