Patience: Hopeful Living

Are you different?

Do you wish to stand out from the crowd?

Do you seek to blend in?

Or do you want to be distinct from everyone else?

I remember when I was a teenager in high school or anywhere else,

I would always try to blend in with the crowd.

Generally speaking, standing out for whatever reason was a bad thing.

It meant that you were either weird, had done something wrong,

and generally attention was a bad thing.

I generally used to hate it.

But I wonder how you found that.

I wonder how comfortable you felt with standing out from the crowd.

As we come to this portion of 1 Peter,

it could be said that it is all about being distinct

in light of what Peter previously wrote.

We find that we are called to what many of us might find uncomfortable.

In this passage, we see that as we press on in our journey to the new creation,

we are urged to live in light of the hope we have in Christ

by living in contrast to our former lives

and aspiring to Christ's likeness

by living in hope, holiness, and reverence to our God.

Peter calls Christians to three things in this section,

which is what we shall consider one by one.

In verse 13, he calls Christians to be a hopeful people.

Secondly, in verses 14 to 16, he calls them to be a holy people.

And finally, in verses 17 to 21, he calls them to be a reverent people.

So firstly, in verse 13, we are called to be a hopeful people.

Verse 13,

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,

set your hope on the grace to be brought to you

when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

And at the beginning of this section, we read,

Therefore.

So it is important to understand what came before this section,

as this is Peter's conclusions based upon what he wrote previously.

Peter, at the start of his letter, begins with doxology and praise.

Verse 3,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why?

Because in him, we have been born again to an indestructible inheritance,

which, though we go through various trials here and now,

this inheritance is secure for us in heaven,

where our faith and hope will be completed when Jesus Christ comes again.

And it is on the note of this marvelous salvation,

which is secure for us,

and in which we can find joy that Peter picks up on in verse 13.

And this is what we see in our passage.

Verse 13,

We set our hope on what?

On the grace to be brought to you

when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

We are commanded to hope in the salvation which is guaranteed for us

when Christ returns.

In verse 13, we also find the manner in which we are to hope.

Read verse 13,

With minds that are alert and fully sober.

With minds that are alert.

Commentators suggest this would be the equivalent to the modern phrase

of its time to roll up the sleeves.

Generally, when you're doing cleaning or gardening,

you don't just sit back and relax.

No, you roll up your sleeves and you get to work.

It is also thought that this is a subtle allusion to Exodus chapter 12, verse 11,

Exodus 12:11

where before the Exodus,

the people of Israel were to show similar preparedness for the Exodus,

which would lead them to their own wilderness journey towards the promised land.

It was to be done in preparedness,

not in idleness.

As we embark upon our journey towards our heavenly inheritance,

as after being saved from slavery to sin,

it is important, we hope,

not in idleness,

but in readiness for action.

We also see in verse 13 that we are to hope with sober-mindedness.

We are to be focused on the hope that we have in Christ,

and we are not to allow ourselves to be distracted by this world.

Though we may not be able to pinpoint the exact historical circumstances

of the recipients of this letter,

we know that they faced persecutions and pressures from their culture around them.

They faced many threats to their hope

precisely because of the hope they had.

And the command here is to be focused on their hope,

despite all these pressures.

Thinking about today,

I wonder how many pressures we have

that would distract us from our hope.

We place our faith in Christ,

and we know that our hope in life and death is Him alone,

and in the final resurrection,

but this can so often be hard to hold to.

Amidst the world where there is so much evil,

suffering, trials, and affliction,

and instability and violence,

perhaps we face pressures from the world around us.

Maybe we face pressure from those who would trash on our hope,

and pressure us to live in such a way

that would make us conform and neglect our hope.

Whatever it is,

Peter exhorts us to stay focused.

We are to stay focused.

We are to be sober-minded.

In a world where our brains are fed

with that which is untrue,

not noble,

wrong,

impure,

disgusting,

and that which is worthy of condemnation,

we are called to stay focused on the hope

we have in Christ.

Christian,

you are not supposed to set your mind

on that which would distract from your hope.

You are not to focus your mind on that

which would take you away from this great hope.

If you allow your minds to be filled with spiritual junk,

then we should not be surprised

when your hope seems less tenable each day.

Instead,

you ought to fill your mind

with that which is true,

with that which is noble,

right,

pure,

lovely,

admirable,

and praiseworthy

as you anticipate the day

when Christ returns.

And as you stay focused on the hope

that you have in Christ,

you also ought to be careful

concerning other hopes.

As a culture,

we hope in many things.

We may hope in scientific advancement.

We may hope in certain political figures.

Or maybe we just hope

that things will eventually get better.

I wonder what you hope in this morning.

Maybe it's something that is a good thing,

or maybe it's something that we ought not

to get ourselves embroiled in.

Friends,

regarding our eternal salvation,

regarding our eternal salvation

and spiritual satisfaction,

we ought only to look to Christ

for salvation

and spiritual satisfaction.

Not all these other competitors

which would threaten

to rob us of hope.

And of course,

it is easy

being caught up in this world

to be distracted

and to set our hope

on worldly things,

but the message here

is that we ought to stay focused

on the eternal hope

which has stood the test of time,

which lifts our eyes

beyond the beckoning grave

to see the matchless beauty

of a day design.

In this verse,

we also see

that we are to have

an undivided hope.

The ESV brings this out

clearer than the NIV

where it says

that you are to set your hope

fully on the grace

that will be brought to you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

You see,

you cannot one day

hope in Christ

and then the next day

in a political figure.

You cannot hope

in eternal salvation

only when it suits you

and then hope in technology

for our satisfaction

and spiritual well-being.

Friends,

we are called here

to hope fully

on the grace

that is to come.

And let me ask you,

do you wait

with an undivided hope?

Or are you prone

to be distracted

by many other things?

At this point

in his letter,

Peter is about

to focus on many

of the ethical implications

of our salvation

and it is no accident

that he begins

here with hope.

before we live

our lives

to the Lord,

we must do so

in the context

of his grace.

It is why

it is important

as we continue

our journey

that we focus

on the hope

that we have

in him.

For many of us

at different times,

this may be a struggle.

But regardless

of how you feel,

you can have assurance

that your hope

is certain.

Let us not focus

on what would

overwhelm us.

No,

let Peter bring us

back to the gospel

where we see

that our salvation

is secure.

And how much

of a difference

this makes

to our lives.

I remember

at a family funeral

a few years ago.

The hope we had

in eternal life

struck many of those

who were there

who were not Christians.

It does make a difference.

People do

take notice.

Friends,

part of living

in light

of the hope

that we have

is by setting

our hearts

and our minds

upon it

and not losing sight

of what awaits us

in the end.

we are a hopeful

people.

And in verses 14

to 16,

we see that we

are to be

a holy people.

Verse 14,

as obedient children,

do not conform

to the evil desires

you had

when you lived

in ignorance.

But,

just as he

who has called you

is holy,

so be holy

in all you do.

before we see

the command

to be holy,

we see that we

are obedient

children.

We are those

who have been

born again

and who have been

made children

of God.

And it is important

to understand

that this

is the context

in which we strive

to be holy.

We do not

strive to be holy

in order to

become obedient

children,

but rather

we are already,

we have been

already been made

obedient children

that we strive

towards holiness.

For the believer,

our works

must stem

from the reality

of the gospel.

we are commanded

to be holy,

but before this

command,

we find that

this involves

a negative

as well as

a positive.

In verse 14,

we are told

do not conform

to the evil

desires you had

when you lived

in ignorance.

And in chapter 4,

verse 3,

Peter describes

what this may

have looked like.

In chapter 4,

verse 3,

he says,

for you have spent

enough time

in the past

doing what

pagans choose

to do,

living in

debauchery,

lust,

drunkenness,

orgies,

carousing,

and detestable

idolatry.

And it is

in this background,

which Peter

was writing to,

that they are

commanded

to be distinct

from all of this.

Peter calls them

to not be conformed

to this world's

way of thinking

and living.

Instead,

they are to be

holy.

They are to

strive to be

like the one

who called them.

Verse 15,

but just

as he

who called you

is holy,

so be

holy

in all

you do.

The call here

is one

to live

in a way

that is distinct

from their

surrounding culture,

something which

Peter often

calls his readers

to,

and instead

they are to

imitate

their God.

Perhaps

you have had

role models

in your life.

Perhaps

this is a parent,

maybe a teacher,

maybe it is

an older Christian,

or maybe it's

a celebrity.

I'm sure

whoever it is,

most of us

have had someone

who we have

looked up to,

admired,

and have

tried

to imitate.

And the command

here to be

holy

and imitate

God is similar

except that

God is far

greater

than anyone

that we

could look

up to.

He is

all-sufficient

in himself.

He is

perfect,

both in

power and

majesty

and in

his moral

purity.

And at this

point I would

like to ask,

how much

like God

are you?

we read

the Ten

Commandments

earlier,

which reflect

his character,

and I wonder

how much

of your life

matches up

to this

standard.

Do you

reflect

your maker?

Do you

strive to

be more

like him

every day?

And notice

that we are

to strive

to be like

him in all

aspects of

our life.

Verse 15,

so be holy,

in all

you do.

Holiness

is a whole

life deal.

We do

not get to

pick and

choose which

aspects of

our life

we are

holy.

You know,

I've had

people speak

to me and

tell me that

they follow

Christ,

but when it

comes to

particular areas

in their

life,

they're not

going to

follow Jesus

in those

bits.

I'm going

to follow

Christ in

all aspects

of my

life,

well,

maybe

except my

finances.

I'm going

to devote

my life

to God,

but I

think I'll

retain control

over how I

spend my

time.

And I

wonder,

are there

any areas

which you

are struggling

to devote

your life

to Christ

in?

Friends,

Peter leaves

no room

for this

kind of

attitude.

In all

you do,

he says,

this is what

you are

called to.

You are

to be like

him in

every area

of your

life.

Peter cites

Scripture in

order to

build his

point.

In verse

16,

for it is

written,

be holy,

because I

am holy.

It is

not entirely

certain what

text he

is quoting.

If you

have an

NIV,

it will

list in

the footnote

three potential

and possible

texts,

but in

either case,

what is being

referenced here

is the

holiness code

for Israel.

For the

Israelites,

they had

been redeemed

and set free

to worship

God as

his people,

and because

of this,

this meant

that they

had to be

different from

the surrounding

cultures.

This meant

they had

cleanliness laws,

food laws,

and other

civic moral

obligations.

And what

Peter is saying

here is,

while we may

not follow all

of the

ceremonial laws,

the same

principle applies.

The same

principle at

work.

As God's

people,

you are to

be distinct

to him.

This means

that your

lifestyle must

be different

to that of

your former

life.

And if

you've been

a Christian

for as long

as you can

remember,

then it

means that

your lifestyle

must be

different from

that of the

surrounding

culture.

Because as

obedient children,

you have been

made holy

in his sight.

In verse

two,

we see that

you have

been called

by the

one through

the sanctifying

work of

the Spirit.

Are you

distinct from

the culture

around you?

Is there a

noticeable difference

that knowing

Christ brings

to your life?

If you took

your daily

routines,

your words,

and your

thoughts,

I wonder how

different they

would be if

you were not

a Christian.

the reality

is that

reading these

verses may

prove difficult

for those

of us,

for many

of us,

including

myself.

It may be

said that

there are

many in

the church

who in

fact do

not look

very different

from the

non-believing

world around

us.

In fact,

even whole

denominations

would fit

this description.

Perhaps

you talk

in the

same ways.

Perhaps

you may

live very

similar lifestyles

and conduct

yourselves in

a similar

manner to

those who

do not

know Christ.

Now,

I'm not saying

that we must

remove ourselves

so far from

those who do

not know

Christ.

I am not

saying that we

must completely

withdraw from

anyone else,

that we cannot

relate to those

who are not

Christians.

But what I am

saying here is

that the

Christian is

called to live

a distinct

lifestyle,

not following

this world's

ways of

thinking and

living,

but imitating

God in

all that

we do.

We must be

like Him,

and we must

not be afraid

to be different

from those

who we live

our lives with

who do not

know the Lord.

we are to

be a hopeful

people,

we are to

be a holy

people,

and finally,

in verses 17

to 21,

we are to

be irreverent

people.

Notice

that in

verse 17,

Peter begins

in the same

place as he

does in

verse 14.

He refers

to his

readers again

as children

of God,

since you

call on a

father.

This is the

reality for

anyone who

has been

born again,

that God

is our

father.

This is how

our Lord

taught us

to pray,

our father

in heaven.

And it is

in this

identity that

we consider

this command

as the

children of

the almighty

judge of

heaven and

earth.

And in

verse 17,

we read

the next

command,

which is

to live

in reverent

fear.

Verse 17,

since you

call on a

father who

judges each

person's work

impartially,

live out

your time

as foreigners

here in

reverent

fear.

Not only do

we see who

we are in

these verses,

but we also

see that it

is important

to understand

who God

is.

He is the

impartial

judge.

This is

similar to

what our

Lord taught

us in

Matthew

Matthew 12:36

chapter 12,

verse 36,

where he

says,

but I tell

you that

everyone will

have to

give an

account on

the day

of judgment

for every

empty word

they have

spoken.

For by

your words

you will

be acquitted,

and by

your words

you will

be condemned.

And throughout

the Old

Testament,

and even

the New,

we find

that God

makes it

abundantly

clear that

just because

his people

know him,

that does

not mean

they are

above him

or are

excused

from his

holy law.

So,

knowing that

God is the

impartial judge,

and that just

because we are

his people

does not mean

that we are

above his

law,

we are

commanded

to live

in reverent

fear.

As many

commentators

point out,

this is no

paralyzing

terror,

but rather

it is a

deep reverence,

a deep

respect,

which spurs

us on to

act like

who we are

under our

triune

God.

Thomas

Schreiner

puts it

rather helpfully.

He says,

there is a

kind of

terror that

does not

contradict

confidence.

A

confident

driver also

possesses a

healthy fear

of an

accident that

prevents him

or her

from doing

anything

foolish.

And what

is in view

here is as

we go on

our journey

as foreigners,

as we continue

our pilgrimage

traveling towards

our inheritance,

we cannot

abuse the

grace that

God has

given us.

This would be

to entirely

misunderstand

what God

has done

for us.

We must

live like we

have been

saved.

we must

live like

who we

are,

which is

obedient

children of

our Father

in heaven.

Living in

irreverence,

thinking that

we can now

sin as we

please,

would be,

as C.S.

Lewis puts

it,

to act as

children playing

with mud

pies while

holiday at

the sea is

offered to

us.

Friends,

knowing Jesus

gives you no

license to

sin.

when Paul

was confronted

with a

similar problem,

shall we

go on

sinning so

that grace

may increase?

What does

he say?

By no

means.

Instead,

we live

in view of

the final

judgment,

confident in

our salvation

because of

this we

strive to

live in

obedience to

our Father

in heaven.

We seek

to follow

His laws

and be

holy.

to Him.

And Peter

gives us a

reason to

live in

fear.

It is

because you

have been

redeemed to

a secure

salvation.

Verse 18,

for you know

that it was

not with

perishable

things such

as silver

or gold

that you

were redeemed

from the

empty way

of life

handed down

to you

from your

ancestors,

but with

the precious

blood of

Christ,

a Lamb

without

blemish

or

defect.

Christians,

you have

been

redeemed.

You have

been

redeemed,

and there

are two

images

generated

here.

First is

that in

the ancient

world where

slaves would

be set free

from their

masters after

money had

been paid

to secure

their release.

Exodus,

however,

perhaps the

more prominent

image here is

that of the

Exodus,

where God

redeemed Israel

from their

slavery in

Egypt,

and their

whole wilderness

journey is

set in this

context that

they have been

redeemed by

their God.

However,

the redemption

that is enjoyed

by Christians is

far greater

than all of

these.

no,

it was not

with perishable

things that

they were

redeemed.

No,

it was with

the precious

blood of

Christ,

a lamb

without blemish

or defect.

And this

generates to

us images

of Christ's

sufferings.

He who

was sinless

and spotless,

who died

for the

transgressions

of many,

he who

was marred

beyond human

likeness or

appearance,

and he was

despised and

rejected by

mankind.

Friends,

this was

for you.

He bore

pain more

imaginable than

anything we

could bear or

imagine,

and he did

so for you.

how great

a salvation

that we

have.

He did

this so

that you

may have

eternal

life.

And when

you consider

this great

redemption

that we

have,

aren't

you not

moved to

love your

God

more?

Don't

you not

want to

live in

obedience

to him?

Robert

Layton,

a Scottish

theologian,

once said,

the more

a Christian

believes and

loves and

rejoices in

the love of

God, the

more unwilling

surely he

is to

displease

him.

Don't

you want

to please

your God?

Does

considering

what he

has done

for you

not move

you to

love him

more and

more?

And not

only does

Peter point

us to the

reconciling

aspect of

our redemption,

but he also

points us

to the

ethical

dimensions

of it.

Not only

have we

been redeemed

with a

great price,

but we

have been

redeemed

from,

verse 18,

the empty

way of

life handed

down to

you from

your

ancestors.

Many

cultures in

the ancient

world would

have held to

their traditions

firmly.

They were

highly valued,

both their

religious and

ethical,

moral ways

of life.

And any

departure

from these

would have

been

considered

deeply

offensive.

But Peter

says that

they have

been

redeemed

from all

these

things.

That is,

they have

been brought

into a

new life

despite the

opposition

and persecutions

that they

may receive

from the

surrounding

culture.

And this

is what

the atonement

does.

It not only

reconciles us

to God,

but it also

brings to us

moral

transformation.

Another

Scot,

George

Smeaton,

wrote that

when Paul

was writing

about the

death of

Christ,

it was his

purpose to

unite the

atoning and

sanctifying

elements and

to rescue

believers from

their unholy

conduct.

In other

words,

Peter is

saying that

to live

in reverence

to God

and to

not follow

and obey

Him would

be to

entirely

misunderstand

our

redemption.

Because we

have been

saved from

this way

of life

to a new

way of life

that is

marked by

holiness and

obedience

to God.

Friends,

I do not

know how

you are

feeling this

morning.

You may

feel close

to God

or perhaps

you feel

you are

struggling

with sin.

We will

all struggle

with the

battle against

sin and

sin is

something that

we must

repent of.

But we see

here that not

only do we

start our

Christian faith

with the

hope of

glory,

but friends,

we must be

brought back

to it every

day on a

daily basis.

And friends,

it is on

this hope

that Peter

leaves us.

Verse 20

to 21,

we learn

that we

have been

redeemed and

that this

redemption is

eternally

secure.

Verse 20,

he was chosen

before the

creation of

the world,

but was

revealed in

these last

times for

your sake.

Through him

you believe

in God,

who raised

him from

the dead

and glorified

him,

and so

your faith

and hope

are in

God.

We are

a hopeful

people.

We are

a holy

people.

We are

a reverent

people,

but none

of this

can ever

be separated

from the

salvation

that we

have in

our Redeemer,

which has

been purposed

from before

creation

began,

where we

have been

brought to

know a

certain hope

in the

one who

was raised

from the

dead and

who was

glorified.

We end

this morning

in the same

place that

we begun,

in the hope

that our

Lord has

bought for

us.

Christians,

as we

continue in

our journey

towards our

inheritance,

as we strive

to be those

who live in

reverence and

obedience to

our God,

we can be

assured

that the

God who

eternally

purposed to

save us

will keep

us secure

until His

plan is

completed.

It is in

this hope,

in this hope

that we

journey on

until our

faith is

completed,

when our

Lord comes

again in

glory.

Amen.

Let us

pray.

We

use

Anybody