Gospel Hope for a Holy People

Okay, good morning. It's wonderful to be with you again, and I'm very excited to continue this series that we've called The Splendor in the Furnace as we journey through 1 Peter together.

For those of you that are back from summer vacation, welcome back. It's good to have you.

For those of you that are visiting, welcome. We're so pleased that you're with us this morning.

Now, last week, Chris kicked off fantastically this series going through the book of 1 Peter.

And he reminded us of what's going on here.

Peter is writing to a bunch of Christians in the northeast part of modern-day Turkey, and he's writing to them because they are discouraged.

They are being persecuted, they are being discriminated against, and they are being ostracized.

And it was around this time that Nero is emperor of Rome.

A few years later, three or four years later, Nero is going to crucify Christians, hang them up on crosses in his garden,

set them alight to burn as entertainment for his guests when he has parties in his royal gardens.

So the Romans were, and Nero in particular, was adamantly against the Christians.

And if the Christians weren't being directly persecuted, they were being discriminated against, ostracized,

because they wouldn't honor the cultural gods.

The company had things against them, their colleagues would ostracize them,

or the family would discriminate against them because they brought shame and dishonor on the family.

They wouldn't honor the family gods.

And so Peter writes this very, very important letter to them.

And this is his main point.

He says, don't be surprised when this happens to you.

Don't think that something strange is happening to you,

because this is what it means to be a Christian.

This world is not your home.

You are a different people, and you belong to a different home.

Your true home and your true people are where Christ is.

And so in this time, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

And so as Chris reminded us last week, he said, you are a different people.

You live with a different hope, a hope which does not perish, spoil, or fade.

And therefore, you have a different view of suffering and hardship.

And as a result of this, you live with a different anticipation of joy.

A joy that's not based on circumstances or the situation around us, but who we are in Christ.

And so that framework is going to shape this whole letter and our understanding of hope and suffering and hardship.

And we live in an age of great entitlement.

Many people think we are entitled to a comfortable and easy life.

And one of the consequences of that is in our day and age, most people feel like a victim.

Does that make sense?

And politicians love to exploit this.

On the campaign trail, you deserve a better life.

A better life for all.

Politicians love to exploit the fact that so many people these days feel like a victim.

But as Christians, we're not tricked by that rhetoric.

We know that our life and our hope isn't found in this life, but it's found in Christ and who He is.

And if you're a Christian, you're life in Him.

And so that was kind of introduction and last week.

Now, the question is, what does that actually mean?

How does that shape the way that you go to work tomorrow or you pursue a relationship or you parent your kids or you engage on the sports field?

What does that actually mean for our everyday life?

And so in light of this, Peter's going to give us two instructions today.

First one is a short one.

We'll spend most of the time on the second one.

So, first thing, first instruction, we're going to look at verse 13 to 25 is this.

Fight for hope.

Okay?

Fight for hope.

One of the things that's good to know as we read through the book of Peter is that Peter's obviously a Jewish believer.

And so in his mind, the whole Old Testament is right there as he's writing this letter.

And particularly the image of the Exodus.

The fact that the people of God were delivered from Egypt, as slaves from Egypt, set free by the blood of the Lamb, and became sojourners, pilgrims, exiles out of Egypt on the way to the Promised Land.

And so Peter's got this imagery in his mind as he writes this letter.

And he applies this.

And throughout the book, he's going to refer to Christians as sojourners, exiles, pilgrims on their way to their inheritance.

And so in verse 13, he says this.

Therefore, therefore, in light of everything that we've said about our hope and our home being in heaven and not in this world, therefore, preparing your minds for actions, being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Now, that phrase, prepare your minds for action, it literally means gird up your loins.

Okay?

And the picture here is back in the day, I guess even in the Middle East today, men and I guess everyone used to wear these long robes, right?

And so the men, if you had to be prepared to go somewhere or to run or to move quickly, you would tie up your long robes and tuck them into your belt so that your legs were free so that you could run.

Okay?

Does that make sense?

You get the picture?

And so that phrase was, gird up your loins, tie up your robes, tuck them into your belt, get ready for action.

And so Peter says, gird up the loins of your minds.

Get ready.

Be prepared.

And the phrase he's quoting is Exodus chapter 12, which is the night before the people of God leave Egypt.

Exodus 12 · chapter mention

Moses comes to the people of God and he says, tonight is Passover night.

Tonight the blood of the lamb is going to be shed.

Tonight Pharaoh is going to set you free.

Gird up your loins and get ready to leave Egypt.

And so Peter's quoting Exodus 12 and he's saying this.

Be prepared.

Get ready.

Set your minds for action.

In other words, be ready for who Christ is and what he's calling you to do.

And secondly, he says, be sober minded.

In other words, don't just go with the flow.

Don't just see where your emotions take you or how you feel about life today or tomorrow.

In light of the fact that your hope is not in this world, be prepared, be intentional, be diligent.

Set your minds on what?

The hope that is in Christ Jesus.

Friends, in our culture, every day our culture is intoxicating us with a message of where to put our hope.

If our children get the right education, get into the right schools, the right university, their future will be secure and we can be at peace.

Every day our culture is telling us that if you work hard enough and get that promotion, you'll be somebody.

Every day our culture is telling us that if we do enough overtime, our bosses will look favorably upon us and our career will be on track.

If we buy the right clothes, wear the right accessories, shop at the right places, we'll be recognized as someone sophisticated, someone in the know, someone acceptable.

And Peter's telling us that if we set our hope, if we set our identity, if our heart's rest is found in these things, it is what he calls futility.

It's like putting all your life savings in the stock of a company which you know is about to go bust.

It's not only futile, it's going to lead to heartache.

And so Peter says, what should we do?

Be prepared.

Be sober-minded.

Set your heart fully on the grace that will be yours in Jesus Christ.

Okay, so there's the first command.

In light of everything that Chris told us, in light of the fact that our hope is not in this world, but it's in the coming Christ, set your hope on that Christ.

Second command, and this is the main thing we're going to look at today, is pursue holiness.

Pursue holiness.

Look at verse 14 with me.

It says, because we are a different people with a different home and a different hope, therefore pursue holiness.

Verse 14.

Sorry, let me just find it here.

I'm in the wrong book.

1 Peter.

There we go.

I was wondering why this looked different in my Bible today.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, so you also be holy in all of your conduct.

Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy.

Now, what does this word holy mean?

Well, as Christians, and if you've been in church circles, you probably would have heard this word a lot.

When we think of holy or holiness, we sometimes think of somebody who's very pious, somebody who's very religious.

Maybe somebody who has a certain air about them, someone who looks down at others, or someone who thinks that they are better than other people.

But in the Old Testament, which is the seed of the gospel, the basis of the gospel, and the scriptures that these people would have had, if something was holy, it meant two things.

Firstly, it meant something was set apart, something was distinctive, different from that which was ordinary, particularly different from that which was dirty, or unclean, or evil.

So there was something distinctive about it, set apart for it.

But secondly, it was set apart for God, for his glory, for the praise of his name.

To somehow make a statement that God is different, and therefore this is meant to be a picture, resembles something of God's distinctiveness.

So for instance, in the Old Testament, the Sabbath day is regarded as holy.

It's set apart, it's different from the endeavors on the other days of the week, and it's set apart to glorify God, for the worship of his name.

In the Old Testament, the priests were considered holy.

They were set apart, there was something distinctive about them, different from just the rest of the community.

They were set apart for the praise of God's name.

And the pinnacle of this is where, in Deuteronomy 14, God says to his people, the nation of Israel,

you are a holy people to the Lord your God.

The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the earth to be his chosen, treasured possession.

So the nation of Israel, there's something distinctive about them, set apart from the rest of the nations.

Not that they were better than, or more moral than, not that they were more righteous in and of themselves.

There's something about them that God said, I want you to be distinctive to make a statement about who I am.

Now look at what Peter says here.

If you are a Christian, this morning, a follower of Jesus, as he who called you is holy, you be holy in all of your conduct.

Know that this world is not your home.

Know that your hope is not found in the things around you.

Because your true home is found in Christ and your inheritance with him in the Lord.

And therefore, he calls you to be devoted, set apart, distinctive, to give yourself wholly to the Lord.

See, we live in a city that unashamedly demands our devotion, right?

Are they right?

Your workplace demands your devotion.

Your family demands your devotion.

Either your children or your parents or both at the same time, right?

If you're part of a sports team, that probably demands your devotion as well.

Or, and let's be honest, church can do that as well, right?

Sometimes you might feel like, hey, work's all right, but church, they're asking a lot of me.

Anyone feel like that?

Okay, you don't need to lift up your hands.

That's not what Peter's asking for here.

Peter's not saying, hey, work asks for a lot.

Family asks for a lot.

Now, give a lot to church to make sure that you're a well-balanced, well-rounded individual.

That's not what he's saying.

He's saying, lift your sights higher than that.

In everything that you do, in all of your conduct, whether you're at the office, whether you're negotiating a deal with a supplier,

whether you're at CG, whether you're on the sports field, whether you're going on a date with someone,

in everything that you do, go into that situation with this realization,

realization, I am set apart, I am distinct, devoted to Christ in this moment.

And so, friends, what would it look like if tomorrow you go to the office,

and while you're there at your desk working, or you're at the negotiating table,

in the back of your mind, you're thinking, I'm set apart for Christ in this moment.

What would it look like to go on a date with someone, and you like them, and you hope that they like you,

and in that moment, you know, I belong to Christ.

I'm set apart, I'm distinct for His glory.

Even here at the dining, the dinner table.

What would it look like to go after a job or a promotion,

and knowing that this thing doesn't define me, but actually in my heart, I'm set apart for Christ.

I'm devoted fully to Him.

What would it look like to handle money, either the way we spend it, or the way we save it,

knowing that you're set apart for Christ.

And so Peter says, in your life, as you travel as an exile in this life, as you go on this pilgrimage,

whatever you do, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

when you didn't know who God was and who you are in God,

but rather, just as He who called you is holy, so you be holy.

Be set apart, distinct for Christ, since it is written,

you shall be holy, for I am holy.

And Peter here quotes a little phrase from the book of Leviticus, Leviticus chapter 19,

Leviticus 19 · chapter mention

be holy, for I am holy.

Now, the book of Leviticus is a tricky book, right?

I remember when I was probably seven or eight years old, one morning,

I've got a clear memory in my head, coming downstairs, and it was about half past five in the morning,

I walked past the lounge, and I saw my dad there,

in the same position my dad was in every morning at half past five.

He was on his knees, the Bible opened to him in prayer.

And so I went to him, and I was interrupting him, and I thought, let me be like my dad.

And so I got a Bible and said, Dad, I want to read the Bible.

What should I read?

For some reason, he told me to read Leviticus.

I don't remember a single bit of it, reading it,

but for some reason, he thought that was a good idea.

But actually, I don't know how much sense it makes to an eight-year-old,

but actually, Leviticus is an amazing book of the Bible.

It's a difficult book to get our head around,

because it seems like there's lots of laws, but it's a brilliant book.

And the main theme of Leviticus is this.

Chris helped me with it this week.

God wants to set apart his community through his word,

that they will be a distinctive community from every other nation in the known world.

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis write it like this.

It's quite a long quote, but it's good.

Let's listen to this.

They say,

Leviticus was intended to create this distinctive people,

shaping every aspect of life, both individually and corporately.

It was not just about what people did in the temple.

It's about what they did in the marketplace.

This distinctiveness, this holiness, knows no boundaries.

It defined relationships, marriage, work, finances, leisure, and politics.

Holiness is as much about what you do on a Monday morning on the factory floor

as it is what you do on a Sunday morning in the church service.

Holiness is as much about the kind of neighbor you are

as it is about the kind of church member you are.

Holiness, distinctiveness, is as much about who you are

when you're holding a steering wheel as it is when you're holding a Bible.

Just like Leviticus,

Peter spells out what it means for the church to be distinctive in every area of life.

But the headline is this.

Be holy because I am holy.

Be distinctive because I am distinctive.

And so for those of us who are Christ followers,

this is what it means to be exiles.

Not to be holier than thou.

Not to be arrogant or bigoted.

It's to see that God has got a calling to be distinctive

and to reflect something of Him in our world.

Be holy because He is holy.

Now, in the rest of the passage,

Peter gives us three reasons why we should do this.

Three reasons to pursue holiness.

But before we get there, I want you to take notice of something.

Not one of these three reasons

has anything to do with earning your acceptance before God.

Peter doesn't once say,

be holy, be distinct,

and then God will look upon you favorably.

Or God will be pleased with you.

Or God will then accept you.

You see, the difference between Christianity

and every other religion,

every religion says,

be holy and then the gods will accept you.

Do right things.

Follow the eightfold noble path.

Follow this Dharma, this teaching.

Be holy.

Do the right things

and the gods will accept you because of your holiness.

Jesus Christ says,

come to me in faith and repentance.

I will accept you.

And then, go and be holy like me.

See the difference?

So Peter's going to encourage us

to pursue a life of holiness,

but not because he wants us

to earn our acceptance before God.

That we get from Jesus

because we believe that he died on the cross.

But once we do that,

he says, now come and be like God.

Pursue holiness.

Does that make sense?

Okay.

So three reasons to pursue holiness.

First is this.

Because you have a new father.

Is that what I said?

Because you've got a new father.

Okay.

So Peter's already told us,

as Chris mentioned last week,

you have a new home.

This world is not your home.

Now he's going to tell us,

you have a new heritage as well.

You have a new family.

Look at what he says in verse 14.

He says,

as obedient children,

okay,

there's the important word children,

do not be conformed

to the passions of your former ignorance,

but just as he who called you is holy,

you also be holy.

And then in verse 17,

he says,

and if you call on him as father,

conduct your life with holiness.

As Asians,

I want to say we,

because I consider myself a Hong Konger,

we,

but you,

understand this better than many people from the West,

right?

That something of your family,

your family shapes who you are,

right?

Who you become as a person

is instinctively tied to your family

and your family background.

In biblical language,

to be somebody's child

doesn't just mean that they brought you

into the world biologically.

It means that they've shaped who you become.

It means that you are like them.

You take after them,

okay?

So for instance,

in John chapter eight,

Jesus is discussing some stuff

with some religious leaders.

And Jesus says to them,

you're speaking just like your father.

And they say to him,

well,

Abraham is our father.

See what they're doing there?

They're claiming solidarity with Abraham.

They're saying,

Abraham's our father.

We are children of Abraham.

We are just like Abraham.

They recognize that,

that the one that you claim solidarity with,

the one who you say,

we are his children,

that,

that means you like that person,

okay?

And so they say,

Abraham is our father.

We are just like him.

And Jesus then gives them the ultimate insult

because he says,

if Abraham was your father,

you would do the same things that Abraham did.

But actually,

you're children of your father,

who's the devil.

And your will is to do your father's desires.

And the next thing that happens,

they pick up stones to stone him.

See,

Jesus has just said something radical.

He's given them the ultimate insult.

He said,

you're just like your father.

You think your father,

you're children of Abraham.

You think you're just like him.

Don't you realize from your conduct

and the condition of your heart

that actually you're children of the devil

and they are riled.

They want to get stones and kill him.

Now friends,

look what Peter says here.

He says,

let your conduct,

not only be that of exiles,

that from another world,

but that of obedient children

to your true father.

In verse 17,

if you call on him as father,

then let your conduct be like him.

And,

and this is what God has always said to his people.

That as Christians,

not only is this world,

not our home,

not only do we have a new home,

but we have a new heritage.

We have a new family.

We are born again into a new family

with a new father

and we have a new DNA inside of us.

And therefore,

the nature and the character of this God,

of this father,

should become something of our nature

and our character.

And what is this father like?

Well,

he's many things.

He's supremely just.

He's sovereign over everything.

He is glorious and majestic,

but he is supremely holy.

Absolutely holy.

He is utterly distinctive.

He is set apart in a class by himself.

Unequaled,

unrivaled.

1 Samuel chapter 2 says,

1 Samuel 2 · chapter mention

there is no holy one like the Lord our God.

There is no one besides him.

Friends,

this is the staggering claim of the Bible.

That there is one true God.

He's not just one of a plethora of gods.

Little with here,

Jesus here,

others there.

There is one true God.

And he is distinct from all other gods,

all other religions,

in all creation.

There is no one and nothing like him.

Unrivaled,

unequaled.

He is not slightly better than us,

slightly more intelligent than us,

slightly more powerful.

This God is not made in our image.

He is not a pious old man with good morals.

He is utterly and gloriously,

supremely,

holy.

And he has no equal.

He is ultimate reality.

Everything else will fade away.

Everything else will come to pass.

Everything else is finite.

But not Yahweh.

He is from everlasting to everlasting.

And there is no God like him.

He is utterly holy.

And one day,

every single knee

will bow down

in the face

of his holiness.

And Peter says,

if you are his children,

be holy

like your father is holy.

Now,

does that mean we must be distinctive,

that we are unrivaled

and unequal

and we are infinite?

No,

of course not.

But it does mean

that something of our nature

and our character

is distinctive.

It's set apart,

that we reflect something

of his character,

that we don't live

for the things of this world,

but that we know

that our hope

and our home

is with him.

Friends,

for those of us

that are Christians this morning,

do you and I live this way?

Do we go to work

or social gatherings

with this conviction

that we are children

of a holy God?

Do we go wholly devoted

to him?

Friends,

does the distinctiveness

of the holy God

drive

and our motivations

shape our dreams

and our desires?

Are there some practices,

some habits,

which more closely resemble

our former ignorance?

For those of you

that are not Christians

this morning,

I want to ask you,

how would this change your life

if you were to become

a child of this father?

How would it change your life

if you were to become

a child of the one true God,

of ultimate reality,

of truth himself?

How would it change your life

if you were to come

to know him?

Friends,

today Christ is inviting you

to become a child

of the living God,

of the one true holy God

and to come and find

your hope

and your home

in him.

First reason,

if you call on him

his father,

be holy

for he is holy.

Second thing is this,

be holy

because you were bought

with a price,

bought with a price.

In Genesis chapter 3

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

in the Garden of Eden,

remember Satan comes

to our forefathers,

our grandparents,

Adam and Eve,

and he says many things

to them

and one of the things

he says is,

he says,

I know God said to you

don't eat of this tree

and don't eat this fruit

but come on,

let's be real.

He says the reason

God said that

is he doesn't want

you to be happy.

He doesn't want you

to be free.

If you really want

to be free

and you really want

to be happy,

just take a bite.

It's not going

to do any harm.

Well, Adam and Eve

believed the lie

and they gave themselves

to their own glory.

They devoted themselves

to what they thought

would make them happy.

And what would give them freedom

but the consequences

were catastrophic.

The result is that

rather than being free,

they became slaves

to their own desires,

slaves to sin,

slaves to destructive

patterns of behavior.

Rather than becoming happy,

they were miserable.

Rather than becoming

full of life,

they became children

of death.

But not only that,

because they were

our forefathers

of all humanity,

everybody who's born

is born as children

of theirs

under their headship

and therefore

we walk in their footsteps.

We follow their same conduct.

And so we are caught up

in their sin,

we are their children

and our lives

follow their same patterns.

And so listen to how

Ephesians chapter 2

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

describes it.

This describes me and you

before coming to Christ.

It says,

You see, friends,

the problem with sin

is not just that

one day we will face judgment

or one day we will go to hell

or one day we will pay

the price for our sin,

though those things

are all true.

That's not the only problem of sin.

The problem of sin

is that today it enslaves us.

Today we become children

of our forefathers.

Today we become enslaved

to our destructive patterns

of behavior

and to our own desires.

What Peter calls

are futile ways of living.

We become children

of disobedience.

And so the hope

of the gospel

is not just that

we get out of jail

free card

for one day down there.

The hope of the gospel

is not just life insurance

to keep us out of hell

one day there.

That is true.

The hope of the gospel

is that today

you get a new father,

you get a new life,

but you're also bought

out of slavery.

Look at what Peter says here.

He says,

live with fear and trembling,

live devotedly,

purposely,

knowing that you were ransomed

from the futile ways

inherited

from your forefathers.

You know what a ransom is, right?

A ransom is someone

that is caught,

enslaved,

and you pay a whole pile

of money to set them free.

Peter says,

you were ransomed

from your former way of life.

You're set free.

You are a new person.

Friends,

the Bible tells us

that in our heart of hearts

we are just like

our forefathers.

We followed in their footsteps.

We live for our own glory.

We pursue the high life

and now the high life

catches up with us.

And the consequence

is that we are slaves to sin.

We are trapped.

I don't know

if you ever feel like this.

I echo Paul's words

in Romans 7

where he says,

the things I want to do

I cannot do

and the things I don't want to do

I end up doing.

Who will deliver me

from such a body of death?

Thanks be to God.

And so Peter says here,

we were ransomed

from that futile

and destructive way

inherited from our forefathers.

How?

Not with perishable things

such as silver

or gold

or stock options

or houses

but with the precious blood

of Jesus.

Friends,

Jesus Christ

didn't just pay

our parking ticket.

Jesus Christ

didn't just pay

that restaurant bill.

Jesus Christ

didn't just pay

what you owe

to the inland

revenue department.

He paid,

he bought

our lives

out of death

and he paid it

with his blood.

Maybe an analogy

will help you.

Imagine this.

Imagine you come

from a very wealthy family.

Your parents

are oil barons.

They're worth

tens of billions

of dollars

and you've got

a younger sister

and your younger sister

likes to live it up,

right?

And so she's always

out clubbing

and at these parties

and those parties

and someone comes to you

and says,

the people that your sister

hangs out with

aren't the best kind

of people in the world

and I think,

you know,

there's rumors

that they're involved

in narcotics trade

and human trafficking

and I think you should

speak to your sister

and warn her.

And so you do,

you go and speak to her

and she doesn't want

to listen,

right?

And so you're keeping

an eye on her

but one day she goes out,

she doesn't come back

that night,

the next day you're

looking for her

frantically,

going everywhere

where she likes to go,

you're calling her friends,

calling her phone,

can't get hold of her.

You go to the police station

one day,

two days,

three days,

on the fourth day

you get a ransom note.

We have your sister

we want a hundred million dollars.

Okay?

Your first response,

this is ridiculous,

we don't negotiate

with terrorists,

you say all the usual things,

right?

But pretty soon you realize

this isn't the movie,

this is real life.

And so you sell

a couple of extra barrels

of oil,

sell some stock options,

you get the money together,

you wire the transfer

into a Swiss bank account

and tell you

where your sister is

and you go

and you find her

and she's set free.

She's fine.

You ransom her

from slavery.

Now tell me this,

that next weekend,

are you going to go

to your sister and say,

hey,

are you going to hang out

with your friends again?

Do you want me to drive you

down to town?

I'm sure you're missing

your friends

and you haven't seen them

for a while.

I know they're not

the greatest people

but do you want to go

hang out with them again?

Of course not,

right?

And if your sister

comes to you and says,

hey,

will you just take me

to my friend's house?

I think I'm sure

it was some bad mistake,

I'm just going to hang out

with them again.

You're going to say,

are you joking?

You're never going to see

those people,

right?

Why?

Because you've been ransomed

from that way of life.

You've been saved.

You've been bought

out of slavery.

You don't dare go back there.

You're a new person

and now you give yourself

to a new way of life.

Friends,

this is what Peter's saying.

You are a distinctive people.

You are a holy people.

You've been bought

with a price,

bought out of your

former way of life.

Don't go back there.

Don't go back there.

Friends,

if you're a Christian

this morning,

hell was once your destiny

but now you're a child

of the holy living God

welcomed into his family

with an imperishable hope

and eternal home

welcomed for you

and everything you are

and everything you have

is because of him.

Because of him.

Friends,

the reason you and I

can go to work tomorrow

with hope in our hearts,

the reason that you and I

can survive

when a loved one

passes away,

friends,

the reason that you and I

don't need to be crushed

by a bad medical report,

friends,

the reason why you and I

can joyfully and wonderfully

give ourselves to Christ

is because everything we have

if you're a follower of Jesus

and everything you are

is because of him.

He's paid the price.

He's bought your soul

and you're free.

Remember the words

of that old hymn.

When I surveyed

the wondrous cross

on which the prince

of glory died,

my richest gain

I count but loss

and poor contempt

on all my pride.

And so were the whole realm

of nature mine

that were an offering

far too small,

love so amazing,

so divine,

demands my life,

my soul,

my all.

Friends,

this is what Peter's urging

his listeners.

And this is still

God's word to us today.

That we will be those

who live with a different hope,

who walk to a different drumbeat,

who put our confidence

not in the things

of this world

but in our eternal home

because Christ has purchased us

and bought it for us

and secured it for us.

Be holy because

you're bought to the price.

Third thing and finally,

be holy because

your life will bear fruit.

Look at verse 22

to 25 with me.

Peter now is going to give us

one specific application

of this phrase,

be holy for God is holy.

Okay?

And this is what he says.

He says,

having purified your souls

by your obedience

to the truth

for a sincere brotherly love,

love one another earnestly

from a pure heart.

Okay?

So he says,

you want to be holy

like God is holy?

Love one another

sincerely,

earnestly

from a pure heart.

Okay?

Is there any other way

to be more like God

than to love one another?

Remember Jesus,

the greatest command,

love the Lord your God

with all your heart,

soul,

mind and strength.

And the second greatest

is like it,

love your neighbor

as yourself

for on these two commands

hang all the law

and the prophets.

You want to be like God?

Love other people.

Okay?

Sincerely,

earnestly.

So Peter gives

a specific application.

Be holy like God is holy.

How?

Love one another

earnestly and sincerely.

Then he says,

then he gives the reason.

For,

or since,

you have been born again,

born to a new family,

the new father,

not of a perishable seed,

but an imperishable one,

one that will never perish

through the living

and abiding word of God.

For,

all flesh is like grass

and its glory

is like the flower

of the grass.

The grass withers,

the flowers fail,

but the word of the Lord

remains forever.

And this word

is the good news

that is preached to you.

Okay?

Almost coming to an end now.

Peter here quotes

Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

In the book of Isaiah,

the nation of Israel

are in exile.

They're away from

the promised land.

Things are not going

particularly well for them.

They wish they could be back

with God's people

and God's land.

And while they're there,

they're wondering,

God,

is your word unfaithful?

Are you not able

to keep us

like your word said?

We thought you were faithful.

God,

should we trust you?

Are you really going

to do with us

what you said you would?

And so Isaiah writes them

in chapter 40.

He says,

comfort,

comfort for my people

in exile.

And then he says,

all other kingdoms,

all other words

are going to fail.

You trust Nebuchadnezzar,

that word is going to fail.

You trust Babylon,

that word is going to fail.

You trust your own expertise,

that word is going to fail.

All other kingdoms

is like the grass

of the field.

Here today,

tomorrow is going to be

thrown in the bin.

But the word of the Lord

proves true.

So while the people

are in exile,

Isaiah says,

God is faithful.

You can bank your life

in it.

Trust him.

Now Peter writes

the same thing.

And he says,

don't you realize

you're in exile?

You're exiles in this world.

This world is not your home.

You're being persecuted,

you're being ostracized,

you're being discriminated against.

But don't lose hope.

Because every other word

is like the grass

of the field.

It's going to fail.

But there is a word

that you can bank your life on.

The word of the Lord

remains true.

And so this is what he's saying.

So in this world,

pursue holiness.

Be distinctive like your father.

Love one another earnestly.

And when it seems like

this is a hopeless endeavor,

when it seems like

this pursuit

is never going to bear any fruit,

when it seems like

it would be far more expedient

to blend into culture,

to take a shortcut,

to look after yourself,

to not be distinctive for God,

but just to look after

your own interests,

remember this.

This word will not fail.

This word may look like

a tiny seed.

It may look like

nothing impressive.

But this seed

is imperishable.

It will never fail.

Remember Mark chapter 4,

Mark 4 · chapter mention

Jesus says this.

He says,

The kingdom of God

is like a grain

of mustard seed.

I think we've got

a little picture there.

Which,

when sown on the ground,

is the smallest

of all the seeds

in the earth.

And yet,

when it's sown,

it grows up

and becomes larger

than all the garden plants.

Jesus says,

Don't you realize

your life is like a seed

that's got to be planted

in the soil?

It's got to die there.

It's got to become obsolete.

But it will bear fruit.

It will bear fruit.

And friends,

this is what Peter's saying.

When you're tempted

to give in

and blend into culture,

don't do it.

When you're tempted

to give in

to your desires

which are counted

to God's will,

don't do it.

When you're tempted

to live for yourselves,

don't do it.

Pursue holiness

because you've been born again,

born of a new life.

And it may seem insignificant.

At times,

it may seem like

it's holding you back

in your career.

At times,

it may seem like

this seed

is never going to bear fruit.

Friends,

every other word

that you're tempted

to bank your life on

is like the grass

or the field.

It's like a flower

in a vase

that next week

is going to be

thrown in the bin.

But the word

of the Lord

proves true.

You can bank

your life on it.

It will bear fruit.

Friends,

this is what Peter

is saying

to these first century Christians

and this is what Christ

is saying to us

in Hong Kong.

They were persecuted,

discriminated against,

ostracized.

They may have been

tempted to sell out,

may have been tempted

to blend in,

pursue a comfortable life.

Peter says,

don't do it.

Don't sell out.

Don't give up.

Christian,

you fight

the fight

for hope.

Christian,

you fight

to pursue holiness

because you have

a new father

in heaven

and he's called

you to be like him

because he's bought

you with a price,

the precious blood

of Jesus

and because this word,

this seed

is an imperishable seed.

It will not fail.

It will not falter.

It will not give up on you.

You've been born again

of an imperishable word

and the gospel

gives you

an imperishable hope

because of that word.

It may look small.

It may look insignificant.

But you can bank

your life on it.

You can hope on it.

Don't give up.

Don't sell out.

Don't pursue comfort.

Fight the fight

of holiness

until you reach

your true home.

Let's pray together.

Oh, Father God,

we confess, God,

that it's so easy

to listen to the word

of our culture,

to be intoxicated

by its message.

But God,

you call us

to be sober.

You call us

to fix our eyes

and our hearts

on you, God.

Oh, God,

as a church community,

we pray,

won't you,

won't you

by the Holy Spirit,

God,

come and open our eyes

to see you freshly,

to fight for hope

and to pursue holiness, God.

I pray that we

as a church

and every Christian

in Hong Kong

will be distinctive.

Oh, God,

come and help us

to be holy.

I pray we'll be

set apart

for the praise

of your name, God.

I pray that,

God,

we're not better than,

more morally superior.

I pray there'll be

something about

our devotion,

that we give ourselves

to you wholeheartedly.

We walk to a different

drumbeat.

God,

come and help us,

I pray.

God,

won't you come

and dislodge

the idols

in our hearts, God.

God,

I pray that those things

that are holding us back,

those things

that are telling us

to trust in them.

God,

won't you loosen

the grip on our hearts?

Won't you melt them away,

little God,

that we can trust you?

Friends,

some of you here

this morning

maybe are not Christians.

You've never become

a child

of this glorious

Holy Father.

You may think

you're a child

of your own ideas.

You may think

yourself an independent thinker.

Don't you realize

you're a child

of your culture.

You've been shaped

by your culture

and your society.

Friends,

if you're not a Christian

this morning,

the one true God

is calling you

and inviting you

to Himself

to put your hope

in Him.

He's inviting you

to,

He's offering

to pay the ransom

for your soul,

to buy you

out of a futile

way of living,

to give you

a new hope

and a new home,

a new family

and a new heart.

Why don't you

come and do it

this morning?

Maybe He's been

calling you

for a long time.

Maybe today's the day.

Come and surrender.

Friends,

for those of us

that are Christians,

maybe the areas

of our lives

we've been holding on to,

why don't you

come and surrender

those to King Jesus.

ask Him to

let His holiness

come and permeate

even that area

of your life.

Your relationship

with your parents,

your relationship

with your children,

your relationship

with money.

Christ,

come and make us holy.

Come make us set apart.

Make us distinctive

for your glory,

we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.