Place your hope on grace (1Peter 1:13-21)
The
decision to be a follower of Christ is something that has to be taken
seriously. More damage has been done by those who call themselves Christians
and betray the very Lord by whom they claim to be saved than by any other false
religion. I have heard testimonies of people who thought they had a vibrant
relationship with God under the health, wealth, and prosperity movement until
they got sick, lost loved ones to illness, or lost their homes. The failure to
place their hope on the true gospel resulted in a shipwreck of faith and
contempt for God. The reality is that they were hoping for things that were
never guaranteed. God has promised a living hope and an eternal inheritance
(1Peter 1:3-4) and has called us by his Holy Scriptures to a genuine faith that
results in salvation (1Peter 1:7, 9). He has become a heavenly Father to those
who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because of this we have a relationship with him that needs to be
nurtured. This relationship comes with responsibilities that are not optional.
What must you consider if you are to be a serious follower of Christ?
It is written, “You shall be holy for I am holy.”
(1Peter 1:13-16)
Holiness
is something that many find hard to define. I am not going to attempt to get
into that topic because I believe the thrust of this passage is focused on what
will naturally lead a faithful person to grow in their ability to experience
holiness personally. Peter makes a distinction that is penetratingly poignant
in this passage. We fail to honor our Father by being passionate about what he
hates. There are subtle elements in our culture that can influence us to be
antagonistic toward God. Our ignorance in these areas is often a cause for
disobedience. The sad reality is that the gospel unveils much of what is wrong
with the world around us yet we find it hard to be passionate about changing
our attitudes and behavior. We neglect to look into God’s Word to find what
pleases him in our music and entertainment. We rationalize away our obligations
to depart from friendships with those who are apathetic toward Christ. We place
more importance on our reputation than on the spiritual health of others and
fail to honor God by lovingly confronting sin in the lives of other believers.
We hold on to sinful passions thinking that the pornography we view on our
computer screens is a private matter. All of these attitudes devastate our
relationship with God and are a detriment to the health of his people. Peter
writes that we should not conform to the passions of our former ignorance but
instead we must be conformed to the holiness of the one who called us. This
conformity to holiness only comes through an awareness of the truth about him
and a conscious decision to invest yourself in what he loves. It is amazing how
emotionally attached a person can get after they have invested their life.
Invest your life through obedience to your heavenly Father and see how your
desires will change! Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Marvel at his love
for you in that he held nothing back when he paid for your sin on the cross!
Conduct yourselves with fear (1Peter 1:17-21)
The word fear has a negative connotation in
our culture. Personally, I hate to be afraid. I don’t even like suspense. Although
there is an aspect of terror included in fearing God, it is not the mature way
of understanding the fear we should have toward God. The context of this
passage communicates a response to the precious gift God has given us. Our attention
is focused on the extravagant value of the gift by emphasizing the magnificent price
that was paid so we could have eternal life through the suffering and death of
Jesus Christ. This suffering and death was the cost of our salvation. It says
much about the value of the gift and the character of the giver. The fact that
God paid for our salvation with the precious blood of Jesus Christ emphasizes
his holiness. The death of his only begotten Son was the only acceptable
sacrifice that could pay for the legal indebtedness we incurred when we sinned.
If God takes sin so seriously that he required its full payment at the cost of
his beloved Son’s life, should we not regard ourselves foolish to meddle in
that sin? If God was so powerful that he could overcome death itself should we
not honor him by living as his obedient children? If God is so gracious and
loving that he was willing to give so much for those who have nothing to offer
him, should we not stand before him in awe marveling at his uniqueness and
glory? Peter writes about the gospel and how precious it is to benefit from
responding to the refreshing truth it breathes into our lives. Ultimately, the
object of our faith is not a doctrine, a message, or a church. The object of
saving faith is God himself. He is the one we trust and depend on because he is
the only one we esteem as worthy of our allegiance. We revere him as the only
one who is worthy of everything we have and everything we are. This reverence
is the compass of our lives. It keeps us focused on God throughout the wilderness
of life as the magnetic poles of the Holy Scriptures guide that compass to their
source. You may wonder, “How do I know if I have enough reverence for God?” You
may answer that question in many ways. How often do you seek for answers to
life’s questions in the Scriptures? How do you respond when a biblical truth
causes you to chafe against the appropriate response to the authority of
Scripture? Have you surrendered your life and all that God has given you to
advancing God’s interests? The answer to these questions will give you an idea
of how much you really esteem God. Is he your Lord or is he an option? If he is
not your Lord . . .
Please place your confidence for eternal life on the work
and merit of Jesus Christ. Nothing we can do can earn salvation. God gave us
eternal life and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever
does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life. I write these things
to you who believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life.
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