1 Peter 1:13-16 (Part 2)
Obedient Children of the Father

  1. Do not behave as children of the world
    1. Do not conform yourself to former lusts
      1. Same message as Paul in Rom 12.2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."
        1. Don't be like the people of this world lusting after the things of this world and finding all your value in this world
        2. Let the promise of heaven and the heaven sent Spirit transform you by renewing your mind
      2. Peter says to these pilgrims and to you and me—You, of all people, ought to know better.
        1. These are former lusts
        2. You know how it used to be. You used to think the things and the approval of this world were so important
          1. What do you want to be when you grow up? You always wanted to pick something that sounded cool so everyone else would approve.
          2. You've been trying to impress people almost since day 1, hamming it up in front of the camera with your parents egging you on.
          3. And you've been lusting after this world's goods since before you could crawl after them.
          4. Even you children, think of how getting new toys makes you so happy. There's danger in that. Don't desire these things so much that you forget about what Christ is bringing.
          5. The lust of the eyes desired all sorts of possessions
          6. The lust of the flesh longed adulterously for what it could not have
          7. The boastful pride of life longed for the world to center around you.
        3. And when suffering and hardship came your way, how you longed to be rid of them
          1. You were unpopular in school
          2. Your parents treated you poorly, beat you, rejected you, preferred another sibling to you, whatever
          3. Perhaps as an unbeliever you knew poverty, rejection, divorce, death
          4. All these things, you heartily longed to be rid of, but your eyes were never drawn up to heaven. Your lust was rather that this life should be better that this world should provide you with desirable things, or at most that the mountains should cover you and death overtake you like an eternal sleep in which there was no waking to judgment.
        4. What benefit did you reap from those former lusts?
          1. They controlled you and overwhelmed you.
          2. As James puts it, when they had conceived, they gave birth to sin
          3. Why return to that?
          4. Anyone who eats of the bread Christ gives, never hungers
          5. Anyone who drinks of the water that Christ shall give him never thirsts again
          6. Come and desire Christ and put these ridiculous former desires away.
          7. If the angels lust (same word) to look into the mysteries given to you, must you not also lust—not for the things of this world—but for a deeper grasp of those mysteries and more heartfelt longing for the appearance of Christ?
    2. Then you were ignorant, now you know better
      1. This ignorance was sinful and it pervaded your mind and prevented you from desiring true food.
      2. As Paul says in Eph 4:17,18—" you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart."
      3. Why should you whose minds have been set on the hope of heaven want to live as they live? You've been freed from all that.
      4. When you were a sinner, how could you long for heaven and Christ with understanding.
      5. But now the Gospel has been preached to you and Christ who is in heaven has beckoned you. You are no longer ignorant but know that God has laid up for you in Christ an immense and incalculable treasure.
      6. For Christ the King forsake the world and every former friend!
  2. But as children of a heavenly Father, be obedient
    1. As Obedient Children
      1. You do not relate to God as a Judge but as a Father. You are children
      2. (Next week, v. 17, we'll note that the notion of God as Judge still has relevance for you as believers.
        1. For now, though, let's just note how the notion isn't relevant
        2. If you believe in Christ, the Lord will not come on that last day and say, "Your works are insufficient; Depart from me into Hell."
        3. But the Judge has already judged your sin at the cross and Justified you at the resurrection of Christ)
      3. Yet Children long to please their Father by obeying him
        1. Not from any fear of losing his love
        2. But because he loves them unreservedly and calls them to be like himself.
      4. So, as children whose Father so tenderly loves you, do you not long all the more to shake off the lusts of your flesh and walk by faith in the Son of God and thus present yourselves to God in a manner that pleases him?
      5. This is no legalism but an appeal to the faith God gave you and the new heart he put in you.
      6. You notice how Peter has not coerced you into this but has made this your entire desire
      7. This is not the command of the Law "Do this and live" but the free invitation of the gospel "You have been granted life; walk in that life."
      8. Evangelistic appeal — Many people like to think of God as their Father, but they are indifferent to his word, do not care to be among his people, and do not long to see his Son, Christ Jesus, appear. Know that for you God is not your Father. He is your Judge. And all the sins you commit are storing up his anger for that great day of wrath when he comes again. Give up your love of this life; what can this life do for you?! Fly to Christ and be saved!
    2. As Obedient children
      1. Not a legal obedience
        1. As noted above, this obedience is not to satisfy the demands of God's justice
        2. But it is the "obedience of faith" that Paul speaks of in Romans 1.5 and 16.19.
        3. And consequently it is obedience to the gospel as in Romans 10.16
        4. Or obedience to the truth that Peter mentions in 1.22
        5. And thus it is obedience to Christ whose commandments are not burdensome
      2. Thus, in Scripture, this sort of obedience is intimately connected with hearing.
        1. In fact, the OT term for "obey" is "listen to the voice of"
        2. Because faith comes by hearing
        3. And obedience of the sort that God loves comes by faith alone.
          1. What shall we do that we might work the works of God?
        4. So obedient children come and hear the word
          1. The word of God is living and active, it will reveal your sins, bring you to repentance before God, drive you to Christ for atonement and righteousness, and bring you to the Holy Spirit for sanctification
          2. The word of God tells you of your future inheritance, moves you to love for Christ, and causes the lust for the things of this world to seem ridiculous and petty. You leave them because you hate them and they have no more poser over you.
          3. The word of God activates faith in those who believe and by faith you receive the good works laid up in Christ that you should walk in them
      3. Come to the Sacraments
        1. Recall your baptism and let it call you to faith in the promises of God once again.
          1. You have been washed and your conscience will be clean in the day of Christ Jesus.
          2. So count yourselves dead to sin and alive to God and stop offering yourselves as slaves to sin.
          3. This is the faith to which baptism calls you.
        2. Come and take the Lord's Supper
          1. Feed upon Christ even as your physical body feeds on food
          2. Remember his death and resurrection for you
          3. Have your eyes and heart and faith drawn up to him in heaven.
          4. And wait for his appearance from thence.
      4. Come and pray with the congregation of God's people
        1. Praise him for he has done marvellous things
        2. Pour out your heart to God, admitting your total dependence on him
      5. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together
      6. Consider how to provoke each other to love and good deeds.
  3. And let your conduct be holy because God himself is holy
    1. Holiness is a status before God
      1. The NT writers often quote a verse of the OT as a window on a larger context. So here
      2. Leviticus 18:24 'Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25'For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27'(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28'lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29'For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30'Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.' " 1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
      3. So Peter is reminding his audience and you that you have been called out of that futile lifestyle and set apart as the unique people of God, chosen according to his purpose to be obedient children
      4. God is by nature holy and rejects all that is impure
      5. So you have been made holy and are called to be holy as God is holy
    2. But a conduct must arise out of that status
      1. But Peter makes it clear, this is a call not be merely hearers but doers of the word.
      2. Your conduct must be holy
      3. 1 Pet 3.3 "3Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,'
      4. My preaching is vain if the gospel never affects your behavior
        1. Not because the goal of our instruction is works
        2. But the goal of our instruction is a living faith. And faith without works is dead.
      5. So in light of all you know:
        1. Reject this world and its siren song
        2. Set your hope fully on Christ so that you behave that way
        3. As you see one another slipping into sin; remind one another of the glorious inheritance that each one may turn from sin and behave as a holy one who will inherit
      6. Look at the saints who have gone before you, and considering the outcome of their conduct (same word) imitate their faith (Heb 13.7)
      7. Remember that this world is passing away; live as those who know that
      8. I'll let Peter have the final word. This is what he will say in his second letter, 1 Peter 3:10ff.. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

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