A new birth into a living hope is a gift from God through Jesus Christ—the perfect gift with a priceless inheritance—that is salvation. In this we greatly rejoice even in the face of various trials because trials test the genuineness of our faith in the One who saves. A grace even the prophets longed to know more about and the angels desire to look into. (see 1 Peter 1:3-12)
Therefore, in light of this, Peter says to prepare your mind.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded,
1 Peter 1:13(a) ESV
I think it's fair to say that a mind, left to itself, is easily swayed. We may not want to admit it, but most of the time we think like the world. Our thoughts and even solutions to problems are generally built around worldly thinking.
If we actually believe we can escape the pull, especially now when the devil continues to rev things up, we're fooling ourselves. He seeks after the one who seeks after Jesus. He's not able to snatch a true believer from the hand of God, but he'll never stop trying. And, let us be careful that we think that following Jesus is a halfway kind of thing. You are either with him or you're against Him (see Matt 12:30).
We are in danger of being duped into forgetting what it truly means to be free from the mastery of Satan. He is so cunning that he's even dumbed down his existence in order to keep people asleep. He's aware if he has your mind he can control you so he has no issue trying to take it bit by bit. It's a game for him. Although compromise is hard to see in a world gone mad, the enemy's agenda has always been, and still is, to cause the follower of Christ to either lower his standards or believe he needs to work his way to God. He tried both with Jesus in the desert and he extends the same invitations to us.
Stay with me here for a minute. In the latter, I think each of us has wrestled with the notion that we must do something in order to earn salvation or at least to remain in God's grace. Though we know we are saved by grace through faith (see Eph 2:8), it's not a difficult leap to works, since any reward we receive on this planet is earned. We need to be careful lest we believe a lie that discounts what Jesus did for us, as well as rob us of the joy of our salvation.
Now, what about the former? If you find yourself believing the rhetoric of the culture that stands directly against God's word—whether it's the lie that it's loving to compromise for the sake of peace and others or because you feel the need to fit in, please take the time to ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes afresh.
Okay, let's get back to Peter as he exhorts us to prepare our minds for action. What is the action he mentions?
set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13(b) ESV
If we fail to set our eyes on what's before us in Christ, we will find ourselves ill prepared for what's coming; persecution—a coming against—a hatred for following Jesus. It's already happening, don't you see it? It shouldn't be a surprise to any one of us considering that Jesus has always been wildly unpopular with those who don't know Him. His way is an extreme contrast to the world's way, so they hate Him, and so you by extension. Consequently, how should we respond?
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16
I know, you're probably thinking the same thing that I'm thinking; Holy? Holy as He is holy? Is that even possible for us? Well, as it turns out it is! Holy, not as moral perfection, but as set apart, separate, different. Peter is saying to get rid of the junk! Be careful not to fall backwards. If anyone knows, it's Peter, it's me, and most likely you, how easy it is to slip back into old patterns of behavior, especially when we're treated badly.
You, however, were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made holy by His Spirit, to obey Jesus and be purified by his blood (see 1 Peter 1:2).
Did you catch that? Chosen, made holy, to obey and be purified. It's a forward progression. You obey because you were chosen and made holy. Obedience doesn't come naturally and it most assuredly doesn't come first. It is by the power of the Spirit of God in you, you have the ability to do something different—to look different—be different—because you are different.
"All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness ( . . . ) based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8). He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification."
~Oswald Chambers
If you call on Him as Father, conduct yourself as His child. He rescued you. You were ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus. The magnificence of Christ is that He chose to offer Himself long before the world began, knowing full well we'd fall. Now, by His Spirit in you, love as you have been loved (see 1 Peter 1:17-22).
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.The grass withers and the flower fades.But the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:23-25
Peter's message is a message of hope. What we face here is temporary but God's word remains forever. Imagine taking such a gift for granted, or even worse, saying no; yet many do. You have a choice set before you. Considering that each of us is the grass and the flowers that wither and fade, wouldn't you say that figuring out who we're following is worth seeking? Are you following the world or are you following Christ?
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