Call to Commitment

 

The flower fades

1 Peter 1:13-25

 

The holiness of God and His people

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; 

14.  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 

15.  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 

16.  because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 

 “Therefore” is based on the previous verses… because Christians are involved in the theme and life that was the envy of prophets and kings. To this, the prophets dedicated their entire lives, searching and inquiring the time of Christ’s suffering and the subsequent glories. They understood that these supreme events of the ages would come to a future people. Not only holy prophets, but holy, heavenly hosts longed to study the matters of an elect people, who would receive these glories. 

 Peter’s readers were the recipients, not only those of his day, but down through the gospel ages to our day, the message has been heard and received, accompanied by the Holy Spirit from heaven. It is the good news of salvation to a sinful, condemned race, totally unworthy of its benefits. You are the ones, Peter says, who should “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you…”

 In the apostle’s day, men of the Middle East wore loose-fitting robes. When they would embark upon some activity, perhaps a journey, they would tie their robes closely to their bodies, and shorten them under their belts, to allow freedom of movement. Girding was an act of preparation and Peter applies it to the thought-life of a believer. It must be brought under control… “girded” … to think seriously and deeply and then, be able to come to a place of confident and complete rest in the grace of God. There is no other source of hope for him and it will be brought to him in its completeness, when Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven. This is to occupy his mind. Jesus said, "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master…” (Lk.12:35,36).

 

 We have already referred to the Christian life as a pilgrimage, living in view of a future eternity. That is exactly what Peter is teaching in verse 13, as Paul also agrees, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). Our hope for perfect salvation is future, at the return of Jesus Christ. “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn.3:2). 

 We are pilgrims, who do not conform to this present world, and we are obedient children of God, who do not conform to our former fleshly desires. To conform to former lusts is disobedience. We formed those life patterns, when we were ignorant and disobedient to the true God, His attributes and ways (14).

 We did not know His holiness. Let us consider the meaning of holiness for a moment. God alone is perfect holiness and is the Source of all holiness. It has to do with his uniqueness, being different from any other creature. He is set apart and alone, in a category all by Himself. Two great categories exist: God inhabits one by Himself, and in the other is everyone and everything that is not God. He alone is perfectly holy.

 As God is holy, so he separates His people from everyone and everything else, to be His people alone. To be holy is to be separated from sin, self and the world. Peter preached at Pentecost: "Be saved from this perverse generation" (Ac.2:40). The church is a holy people, separated unto God. It is separated in essence: “Be holy”, but it is to be separated in conduct, according to verse 15, the exterior walk, consistent with the interior state-of-being.

 Peter enforces his command with Scripture. The absolute authority of New Testament Scripture is entirely based on Old Testament Scripture. Jesus Himself taught, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (Jn.7:16). See how Jesus constantly quoted the Old Testament Scriptures, as the apostles did throughout the book of Acts. Paul, James, Peter, John and Jude do also in their epistles. There is really nothing new in the New Testament. God had already established His doctrine before Jesus came to earth. The New Testament and the new birth had already been prophesied in the Old (Jer.31:31-34; Ezek.36:26-27). True, the prophecies come to fulfillment in the New, including, “It is written, Be holy, for I am holy.” However, it originates in the Old Testament, as divine principle, bound to God’s nature (16).

 

The precious blood of Christ

       17.  And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work,                 conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 

18.  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 

19.  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 

20.  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 

21.  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 

22.  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 

 God’s judgment is impartial and perfectly just. The Scriptures plainly teach that He is no respecter of persons, which means, He plays no favorites. We need to establish that attribute through His written word. He judges according to each one’s work or as John Wesley interprets: “According to the tenor of his life and conversation (conduct).” In the area of Christian labor, quality is considered over quantity. Paul speaks of building over the foundation of the church with valuable material: “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, (or) wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear” (1 Co.3:12, 13).

 He is impartial to a person’s economical condition. There are various verses, similar to Job 34:19: “Yet He is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands.” The instruction to Israel’s judges in Exodus 23:3 is interesting, showing that they should not give preference to the poor, just because he is poor: “You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.”  

 God shows no racial partiality. Peter’s eyes were opened to the reality that God accepted a Roman centurion, just as he accepted His Jewish followers: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Ac.10:34). This verse also confirms the fact that the work that the Father is looking for in a Christian’s life is righteousness and godly fear (17).

 The fear that He desires is based on a high conception of the price paid for our redemption. Christianity has nothing to do with monetary value that we often find in world religion, handed down from generation to generation (18). Jewish law required a half shekel from each person, to pay for the service of the tabernacle. Notice, by the way, that there was impartiality in this offering:  “Every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD… The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves” (Ex. 30:12,15). The pagan religion of Gentiles also looked to physical and visible offerings for redemption (Ac.14:15).

 The Father searched through heaven and found that the highest value was in His eternal Son. He gave Him to come to earth in the form of human flesh and blood. It was His blood of infinite value that was needed to pay the price for man’s redemption. Man’s sin against God was infinite and required an infinite sacrifice of infinite value. Nothing less would do.

Peter terms this infinite value as the precious blood of Christ, beyond calculation. It is also unique; Christ’s veins were emptied of blood, the blood of the God/Man, never before or since conceived in earth or heaven. He was THE Lamb of God, to whom all animal sacrifices pointed, without blemish or spot, perfect in the eyes of an all-seeing God (19).

 In verse 20, the eternal purpose of God is uncovered… “foreordained before the foundation of the world.” The apostle John also records that He is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rv. 13:8). The plan was conceived in God’s mind in eternity, but manifested, perfectly, in time: “In due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6). God’s timing in giving a ransom for sin is perfect, as is the timing for its publication: “Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 T. 2:6. I will mention that “for all” has no further qualification in this Scripture, for example, it does not say, “for all the elect”.) Paul confirmed the same to Titus: “(God) in due time manifested His word through preaching” (Tit.1:3). The plan is eternally in the mind of God, but its manifestation in time is for us.

 The New Testament makes it very plain, in many texts, that there is only one way to God, and that is through Christ. “Through Him” we “believe in God” (21). No verse is clearer than the following: “Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (Jn.14:6). Later in his letter, Peter will declare, “Christ also suffered once for sins… that He might bring us to God” (3:18).

 God resurrected Christ from the grave and glorified Him in heavenly places. That Jesus rose from the dead, was proof that He was sent from the Father to earth. The Lord was very concerned that His disciples would believe that truth. Notice His declaration in His prayer to the Father: “They have received them (His words) and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me” (Jn.17:8). It was essential to faith that they know His divine mission. It was something more than to walk among the people, doing good works, healing the sick and casting out demons. He was sent from God to fulfill His eternal purposes and it was the resurrection that ultimately gave proof.  

 He passed through the heavens and was received by the Father, sitting at His right hand. It was this reception that showed that His sacrifice was perfect and complete. The Father was satisfied and gave Him glory. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). We therefore believe and trust the God, Who foreordained our salvation, through Him, from before the foundation of the world. We see His promises through prophecy, to be true from Genesis to Malachi. He finalized His eternal plan, resurrecting Christ and sitting Him at His right hand, and we believe, trusting Him implicitly as a sure hope of our salvation (21).

 In the next verse 22, we have proof that we are within the Covenant and have received the benefit of the magnificent wisdom of the plan of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we have obeyed the truth and, as the result of obedience, our souls have been purified. We will soon see that a new birth resulted and a pure heart, which is motivated by the love of God. It is love towards God and towards all His family. Peter defines His love as sincere and fervent, out of an internal purity, none of which can be said, concerning an inferior human love. 

 

The incorruptible work of the word and the Holy Spirit

23.  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 

24.  because "ALL FLESH IS AS GRASS, AND ALL THE GLORY OF MAN AS THE FLOWER OF THE GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND ITS FLOWER FALLS AWAY, 

25.  BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 

Now Peter will tell us of the new birth, beginning in verse 23. My mother told me that she needed an operation soon after my birth on a Native American reservation in North Dakota. Probably because she was recovering from surgery, I came under frequent care of a lady, Mrs. McFadden, who was a foreman’s wife on a large farm. Throughout my siblings’ and my life, our dad led us in daily devotions, which included Scripture memorization. I suppose, due to the daily repetition, I learned 1 Peter 1:23-25, according to the King James Version, before I was two years old. “Momma McFadden,” as I called her, said I was going to learn the whole Bible before I was very old. Unfortunately, her prediction fell short.

However, that reason would be sufficient to make the following three verses a special part of my childhood and something to which I could refer throughout my Christian experience. All the virtues to which Peter refers, especially divine love, revealing itself in the believer, are the result of “having been born again!” It is new birth into a new creation. It has come from spiritual seed, the word of God, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, which produces a mysterious germination in the human heart. Because the word of God is incorruptible, living and abiding forever, and because the Spirit of God possesses all the attributes of the godhead, what is produced in man is incorruptible, alive and remaining throughout eternity (23).

 The corruptible seed comes from natural birth, originating in Adam, which is fallen and therefore is corrupt. It is illustrated by grass and its highest development is likened to a flower. Peter goes to Isaiah 40:6-8 for the divine principle, concerning the fragile nature of a human being. As the grass, a man withers and all his achievements fade. All his beauty decays into a wilted flower. He dies and his possessions and fame die with him. He carries nothing to the grave and appears naked and lost in eternity (24).

 But the regenerated man or woman, born of the word and the Holy Spirit of God, is indestructible. In verses 10-12, Peter referred to the word of the prophets, who were unable to participate fully in the message that they received and the heavenly angels were not able to enter into the things that they observed in the gospel. Peter’s intention is to awaken the believers to the wonder that this same magnificent message, is the one that they had heard and received. That portion and the one that we are now contemplating, are the high twin summits of 1 Peter, chapter one.

 In verses 23-25, new birth, contrasted to the former life of corruption, is now ours.  With the same purpose as in verses 10-12, Peter writes to awaken an appreciation for the awesome wonder of the gospel that the believer has heard and received. Today, I am trying to bring it home to our hearts. In verse 12, he said, “To us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” And in verse 25, he doubles down on the fact, “Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” Let us rise to meet the challenge that Peter is laying before us, with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving!