Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 115th. Edition.
Dear People Who Are Called to Holiness,
Today’s passage (1 Peter 1:13-15) introduces a key theme of this letter, holiness. Holiness underguards pretty much every other theme in Peter’s communication here. There is a sense in which suffering, which is another key theme of this letter, would be a waste if holiness was not the result. But we get ahead of ourselves.
Aspire to the hope of victory (v. 13). The command to “gird up the loins of your mind” (NKJV) has also been translated, “Prepare your minds for action” (NIV). While trials and persecution may cause us to want to retreat, that would be a defeatist response. We should instead get ready to get some work done, but with sobriety. We should not buck under persecution, but we must never take it casually, either. We should be alert to the danger of paralyzing fear, hate against our persecutors, and overconfidence. Our goal and hope should be to make it to the finish line victoriously so that we can receive the prize. Note that the prize is “grace”. We will not make it without God and even when we do, it is with enough imperfections and failures along the way, even for the best of us, that we are undeserving of the reward. But God in his grace has promised us glory with him and we look forward to that.
Abandon former lusts (v. 14). The first stage of holiness is separation. We not only separate ourselves from people who are in sin, but more importantly, from sinful habits. Roman life was characterized by gluttony and sexual excess and the Greek way of life was no better. Christians were surrounded by a society that not only accepted sins of the flesh as normal but even encouraged reveling in them – sounds familiar?
Adhere to the example of the one who called you (vv. 15-16). Holiness is not a shot in the dark. On the contrary, we have the example of Jesus to emulate. An interesting allusion to the divinity of Jesus is made here, somewhat inadvertently. This passage is talking about Christ because it is he who is to be revealed (v. 13). But the quote here in verse 16 is from Leviticus 11:44-45, a clear reference to God. Not that there is any doubt that Jesus is God. Peter alludes to it as naturally as he does, his holiness.
The second stage of holiness is purity. The separation must be internal, as well as external. The believer must be rid of all impurity and be yielded to the flawless attitudes and character of Christ. This must be the desire of every true believer.
That this is not always the case is cause enough to interrogate the sincerity of our faith.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.