Jesus - Saves

AdamsEve · Chief Honcho Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 1342

A Holy People

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1Peter 1:13
“ Therefore ” ties this section to the former one, which is the basis of the commands in these verses.

The general meaning is that the reception of salvation must result in a life of holiness, reverence, and love.

Moreover, since the prophets and the angels take great interest in this salvation, how much more should Christians pay careful attention to its results. “ Set your hope ”; “ Prepare your minds for action ”; “ Gird up the loins of your mind. ” In our words it would be “ roll up your sleeves “ or “ put on your gloves “ .

The figure is of a man gathering the folds of his long garment and tucking it into his belt so that he can move freely and quickly ( 1 Kings 18:46; Jer 1:17; Luke 17:8 ). Related figure occurs in Luke 12:35 and Ephesians 6:14. “ Pull yourselves together ” a comparable English idiom. “ Be self-controlled ”. Peter is saying “ get serious, what is ahead of you is not going to be fun. “

The main emphasis of v 13 is on putting one’s hope wholly in the eschatological of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

At the present time, we enjoy only a beginning of that grace. Now we are God’s children, John wrote, but when Christ returns, we will be like him ( 1John 3:2-3 ).

This longing for the Parousia permeates the NT writings ( Acts 1:11; Rom 11:26; 1Cor 15:51; 1Thess 4:13; Heb 9:28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:12-13; Rev 1:7; 19:11; 22:7-20 ).

For Christians, the consummation of this grace occurs at the unveiling of Jesus the Messiah at the second coming ( 1Thess 4:13 ).

1Peter 1:14
The Christians’ lifestyle is not to conform to the base desires that formerly ruled them and kept them from God. The “ do not conform ” is found only here and in Romans 12:2 in the NT. ( Rom 12:2 “ Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, prepare for persecution but let God remold your minds from within. ” )

Peter exhorts Christians to control their desires rather than to be controlled by them.

Formerly Christians were in ignorance; now they have come to know God and his will. They are to be “ children of obedience ”.

1Peter 1:15-16
God is first described as the one who “ called. ” God is described as “holy.” Holiness embraces purity and moral integrity. Those called to be God’s children are to be like him. Peter cites Leviticus ( 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7 ).

The basic idea of holiness in the Bible is that of separation from all that is profane. holiness includes various meanings translated into English as “ purify, ” “ sanctify, ” “ separate from, ” “ dedicate ”. The simplest understanding of holiness is that of loving conformity to God’s commands and to his Son ( 1John 2:4-6 ).

Social status, race, gender, or any other worldly standards have no roll in personal holiness.

1Peter 1:17
Peter reminds Christians that they entreat God as “ Father ” and that as his children ( v 14 ) they should indeed call on him constantly in prayer. But God is Judge as well as Father, and those who call on his name must remember that he is impartial in judgment.

Simply because some people call themselves Christians does not mean that all will be well for them in the Judgment. Justified persons are persons changed by grace and they must walk in good works as the evidence of grace ( Eph 2:10 ).

As for sinners, they “ will not stand in the judgment ” ( Ps 1:5-6 ). This means that at the Last Judgment the unregenerate will be doomed. The regenerate will have their lives evaluated by God also ( Rom 14:10-12; 1Cor 3:13-17; 2Cor 5:10) and will receive according to what they have done. Justified persons, however, cannot be condemned ( Rom 8:1, 34 ). But only the Lord who knows the hearts knows who the justified are.

Since judgment is certain, Christians are to live in reverential awe of God — yet not in terror, for peace is one of their privilege ( 1 Peter 1:2 ). The Christian life is a temporary stay on this earth, so the brief time granted us should be used carefully.

1Peter 1:18-19
Money in itself is not evil but we need to keep a Godly perspective, money can never save us.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “ Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ”

“ For you know ” translates to the command “ Live your lives ” of v 17.

“ Live — because you know! ” The Christian life is lived out of knowledge of the redemption that Christ has accomplished.

What do Christians know? Peter reminds his readers of the cost of redemption. The value of redemption is the value of the Person of the righteous Messiah himself.

“ redeem ” goes back to slavery in ancient Rome. Any representative first—century church would have three kinds of members: slaves, freemen, and freed men.

People became slaves in various ways — through war, bankruptcy, sale by themselves, sale by parents, or by birth. Slaves normally could look forward to freedom after a certain period of service and often after the payment of a price. Money to buy his freedom could be earned by the slave in his spare time or by doing more than his owner required. Often the price could be provided by someone else. By the payment of a price, a person could be set free from his bondage or servitude.

A freed man was a person who formerly had been a slave but was now redeemed.

Jesus described his ministry in Mark 10:45: “ The Son of Man ... [ came ] to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for ‘ in the place of ’ many. ”

The redemption of Christians is from the “ empty ” lifestyle of their ancestors.

This implies a pagan lifestyle rather than a Jewish one because the NT stresses the emptiness of paganism ( Rom 1:21; Eph 4:17 ).

Verse 19 stresses the value of the purchase price of redemption and at the same time identifies the blood as that of a spotless lamb — the Messiah.

Because Jesus is without sin, he is unique and his life is of infinite value as the Sacrificial Lamb of the Passover ( Exod 12:46; John 19:36; 1Cor 5:7 ).

1Peter 1:20
“ He was chosen before the creation of the world. ” The Greek word for “ chosen ” is, often translated “ know before. ” The meaning, however, must be more than “ foresight. ” For why would Peter at this point make the obvious statement that God knew before about Jesus and his death? The word connotes purpose ( Rom 11:2 ). “ predestined before the foundation of the world. ” The redemption was in the plan of God before Creation occurred. And now this redemption has been “ revealed ” in Jesus of Nazareth “ in these last times. ” With the coming of Jesus, the last age has come ( Acts 2:17; Heb 1:2; 9:26 ). The salvation in Christ purposed from eternity is now made plain, Peter tells his readers, “ for your sake. ”

1Peter 1:21
Their faith in God comes through the work of Jesus because he is the one who reveals the Father ( John 1:18 ) and because he is the means of reconciliation ( 2Cor 5:19 ). Peter identifies the Father ( v 17) as the God who raised Jesus and glorified him with the result that believers have faith and hope in God.

Jesus’ resurrection is the foundation of our faith, and his glorification is the pledge of the hope of our new future ( Rom 8:17-30; 1Cor 15:1-11; Heb 2:10 ).

1Peter 1:22
“ now that you have purified yourselves ” is stressing the state that results from regeneration. It denotes the moral purity that comes to Christians through the gospel.

The gospel carries with it a command to repent and believe. In the early church, this was commonly tied to baptism. Not that the church believed that baptism itself saved; rather, it was the focal point of decision ( Acts 2:38 ).

The means of this purification is “ by obeying the truth ” or obeying the gospel ( Acts 15:9 ) “ He purified their hearts by faith ” ( Rom 10:16; 2Thess 1:8 ).

Peter adds to the command to be holy and to reverence God the command to love. This command for Christians to love one another.

Being purified from sin enables Christians to show genuine family love for God’s children. Yet this love is not entirely a foregone conclusion, because it can be and is commanded.

This love is to be “ from a pure heart ” “ sincere not lip service “. So Peter exhorts Christians — because they are purified — to love fellow Christians purely and zealously.

Love for non—Christians is not in view here, but of course it is also part of Christians’ obligations ( Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35 ).

The NT teaches that there are different kinds of love and different emotions of love. Yet Christians are enabled to love all people with agape love, a self-sacrificing desire to meet the needs of others ( 1John 3:14-18 ).

1Peter 1:23
“ for you have been born again ” stresses the state into which Christians come at conversion. What is the “ seed ” that gives the new birth?

“ the living and abiding divine word of baptism by which Christians are born again ”. Others connect it with “ the word ” ( Luke 8:11: “ The seed is the word of God ” ) or with the “ seed ” of the divine life ( 1John 3:9 ).

Perhaps it is best explained as the life-giving message about Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Peter explains that the new birth comes through the living and abiding word of God. By the “ word “, he probably means “ God’s self—revelation, ” which would include both his spoken message and his written one. God’s word is living because it imparts life ( Ps 33:9; Isa 55:10-11; Heb 4:12 ). His word endures because the God who speaks it is the eternal, faithful, powerful one who keeps his promises.

1Peter 1:24
The quotation from Isaiah 40:6-8 supports the assertion of the character of God, with its stress on the abiding faithfulness of the Lord’s statements. The theme of Isaiah’s prophecy is the perishable nature of all flesh and the imperishable nature of the Word of God. To the exiles in Babylon, the message was that “ human help is weak and perishable, but God’s promise of restoration can never fail ”.

1Peter 1:25
How do you show confidence in God’s Word?

Peter gives us the application of Isaiah’s words. In the Hebrew and in the Greek of the LXX, it is the “ word of God ” that is spoken of.

The word of the Lord is the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him.

The message about Jesus was proclaimed to Peter’s readers, and it is completely reliable. This message gives life and transforms life so that Christians are able to love.

The Bible has...
66 books.
1,118 chapters.
774,746 verses.
3,500,034 words.

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “ It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. ’”

Isaiah 55:10-11
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Talk Scripture, the verse has power, it is incorruptible, it is the seed that produces Spiritual life.

The effect may not be seen immediately but it will take root and blossom ultimately.

So plant it, use it, talk it, say it, speak Scriptures and watch what happens.

Recap

I know the importance of personal freedom and independence and imposing rules on others is intolerance.

How much better would you like to hear Scripture than a potty mouth?

Holiness has two aspects...

It implies separation — consecration and is morally pure, clean — unstained by sin.

We must depend on God to achieve holiness.

We serve God not ourselves.

Christians are bound to God as well as each other.

God’s love for us was so deep that He planned for our redemption before any one ever sinned.

The focus is not just the blood stained cross or the empty tomb, it is also the God of Heaven who is forever.

v 22 Talk is good but action is better.

How does Christians display their faith in God in general and in their lives?

We are born again of incorruptible seed.

Prayer;
Dear Father in Heaven help us to be holy and pure, Lord I know it is not to gain Your favor but because You have been so gracious to us. Lord a unholy life is that which can destroy us. If we are at peace with You we can be content in serving You. Thank You Lord.
Amen

TGIF

_________________
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”