1 Peter 1:13-16

I Peter 1:13

     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;

     “Therefore,” the verse begins – since our salvation through the sufferings of Christ has been so long awaited, and now has finally dawned in our day -- since angels and man have longed for the day when Christ would save man through Christ’s death -- and that day has now come -- “Therefore, “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober-minded.”  That is to say: keep your wits about you, think carefully about what this means.  This is no trivial matter!  We must keep our focus on this salvation that has come to us at such a cost and after such a lengthy wait.  We must keep our attentions centered on matters pertaining to this salvation which has come to us with such sacrifice and suffering.  And with our minds fully fixed on this salvation that has come through the sufferings of Christ, let us rest our hope for our future happiness and our present peace on this grace that is ours through Jesus.  His act of grace on the cross has been fully revealed already, and His act of grace toward us on our judgment day will be fully revealed soon enough.  Just as the prophets were compelled to watch carefully for the coming of Christ the Lamb, so here, we are prompted to watch carefully and “hope fully” for the revelation of Christ the Lord.

I Peter 1:14-16

     As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

     The mandate has been handed down clearly to us.  The bar is set high, and though we find the standard extreme, we cannot pretend to misunderstand.  “Be holy.”  Peter has been speaking of the glory of our salvation through Christ, and here he tells us our proper response to being saved – “be holy.”  We have been saved by the grace of God and have thus become His children.  Since, then, we are children of God, Peter calls on us to be “obedient children.”  In ignorance and rebellion some men tolerate lives full of sin; some men tolerate occasional sin, and others tolerate “small sins.”   But we cannot claim ignorance, we are plainly told here what our Father desires from us – He desires for us to tolerate no sin, but to be holy.  Our holiness is to match our Maker’s holiness.  Though we cannot equal Him, we must imitate Him (Matthew Henry).  We cannot excuse away any sin as reasonable, excusable, or permissible.  We have been saved by grace and have become children of God – so be holy!  Just as any good son is naturally inclined to imitate a good father, we are spiritually inclined, and here doubly commanded to take after our Father in matters of holy living.  In Psalm 22:3 David acknowledges God’s perfection and sings out: “You are holy.”  And as God’s child he cries out to his Father for help in Psalm 86:2 saying, “Preserve my life, for I am holy.”  God is holy, and as His children we must be holy too.