Last 5 Days
Living as Obedient Children
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grassand all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers,and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
This passage begins with “therefore” and it indicates a continuation from the previous passage. Peter was writing to the Jewish believers who were dispersed throughout the region of Asia Minor. These elect exiles and sojourners in this world (1:1, 17; 2:11) can look forward to a better place, that is heaven. They had a sure and certain hope in their salvation and inheritance. But in the meantime, living in this world, they were also suffering from trials and testing of their faith. Therefore, Peter challenged the believers to practise at least four things as God’s obedient children:
1) “prepare their minds for action” (1:13) Strangely, usually when we say “action,” it refers to using our hands and legs to do something or move to some place. But here, Peter taught the believers to prepare the minds for action. How do we do so? Well, someone says, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” When a person’s mind is idle, it is not focused and directed. It is not prepared for action. This is when the devil could come in and put all sorts of thoughts, ideas and even temptations into his/her mind.
So we must prepare or “gear up” our minds for action, ready to move and obey the truth and the revelation of Jesus Christ (1: 13, 22) as the Lord leads us, not our own ideas and thoughts. A mind ready for action is one that is sober and sombre-minded, and one that fully sets its hope on the grace bestowed upon us when Christ is revealed.
2) “do not be conformed to the passions” (1:14) This requires obedience, and as God’s children who have been redeemed from the ignorance of our former behaviour, Peter exhorts us to leave the former passions of the world. It is a deliberate and determined action to turn around from the ways of the world to God’s ways.
3) “be holy in all your conduct” (1:15) and “conduct yourselves with fear”(1:17) To leave the things of this world is only one part of our Christian faith and practice. The other part is the active cultivation of a life of holiness, to always seek to obey and follow God’s will, and live a life that is set apart for Him in our whole conduct and conversation, with reverent fear. This is right for the children of God because as God is holy, we too ought to be holy.
4) “love one another earnestly” (1:22) When we decide to set ourselves apart for God, be obedient children and live holy lives, our souls are being constantly purified for a sincere brotherly love to earnestly love one another with a heart that is pure and undefiled by worldly passions and intentions. This is made possible by our obedience to the imperishable, living and abiding word of God!
Dear God, thank you for the revelation of Jesus Christ my Saviour, and the word of truth that sets me free from my ignorance of sin and the things of this world. Help me discern between your guiding word and the ideas and thoughts of this world, or even my own thoughts, and learn to obey your word of truth. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing in your sight and learn to love my fellow believers with an earnest and sincere love. Teach me to conduct my life in holiness, righteousness, love, faith and hope in my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!