"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
1 Peter 1:13-16
Part 4
Yesterday: Prepare for Action – With Hope
“And hope to the end.”
“For the grace that is to be brought unto you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Today: Prepare for Action – Not Conforming to Old Evil Desires
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14, ESV[1]).
All believers are called to:
Prepare mentally for action. [2]
Be sober-minded, self-controlled.
Have hope.
Do not conform to evil desires.
Be Holy.
“From sobriety of spirit and endurance of hope Peter passes to obedience, holiness, and reverential fear” [3] (JFB).
“As obedient children.”
Who are these obedient children? These are the ones who know God personally.
“‘children of obedience’: children to whom obedience is their characteristic and ruling nature, as a child is of the same nature as the mother and father” [4] (JFB).
These obedient children have the opposite heart and mindset of “the children of disobedience,” which describes us before we met Jesus Christ as our Savior.
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
Sadly, the spirit of disobedience is still alive and well in those who do not know Christ.
God’s genuine children obey Him, their Father. They have the “obedience of faith” – we have put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – therefore, we obey. Faith in Him has changed their lives, “purified their souls,” and has changed their thinking (1 Peter 1:22). And because of their obedience to Him, they now have the “practice of faith.” Yes, now we who love and know Christ live differently because of our faith in Him. We strive to live like our Father.
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
Our change of behavior began with our salvation.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
“Fulfilling God’s call to holiness requires that we, as obedient children, break off with the lifestyle of the world (which is characterized by lusts and ignorance)” [5] (EWC).
“Not fashioning yourselves.”
“Do not conform.”
This word fashioning in our English Bible comes from the Greek word that means to “conform one’s self,” that is, “one’s mind and character to another’s pattern” [6] (Thayer). This is where the idea of “fashioning” comes in. To fashion oneself according to another person’s pattern gives them control over me, and this is not good.
Let me encourage you to do an exercise in observation this week. As you go about your life’s duties, keep an eye out for the people around you. People-watching can be very entertaining and educational. Are people you see trying to be like everyone else they are with, in their dress, speech, or actions? Have you noticed that young people are especially susceptible to letting other people’s opinions squeeze them into their mold?
For a child of disobedience, to be led around by other children of disobedience is a danger indeed. Once again, we find that the Bible has the answer to this issue of peer pressure. The apostle Paul wrote –
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Here’s the same idea of not being conformed that Peter is speaking of. Believers, we are to never “let the world squeeze us into its mold!” And yes, you could say this makes us “non-conformists” from the world’s system. This is God’s way for us.
“According to the former lusts in your ignorance.”
We all have a past. We were all children of disobedience before salvation. I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my history before Christ saved me, I’m embarrassed by my former sin, though now forgiven. We need to take note that Peter is talking about our former sins. These former sins were in our past sinful lives and should have nothing to do with our lives today.
“Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:3).
This was in the days when we were still ignorant of God and His Word.
“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18).
God graciously has done an outstanding work in us – former children of disobedience.
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 3:3-6).
Just a reminder for believers. God’s Word tells us to put to death those old sins that we practiced before salvation. As believers, our Father expects us to walk differently now that we have been redeemed.
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time when ye lived in them” (Colossians 3:5-7).
We are different now – praise God!
Believers, let’s always remember this –
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Please come back tomorrow as we see that – all believers are called to personal holiness. God expects a significant difference in our lives now from when we were children of disobedience in the past. See you tomorrow.
Quote: “When we wrap our minds and hearts around God’s gracious work in the gospel and root ourselves in Jesus, we find the strength and power to change, because the power to change comes from Him alone” [7] (Matt Eachus).
[1] ESV is the English Standard Version of the Bible.
[2] The BKC has broken down these four verses into five necessary actions for believers. I’m borrowing these ideas from them. Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 842–843). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] JFB, Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 501). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. The emphasis is theirs.
[4] JFB, ibid. The emphasis is theirs.
[5] EWC is the Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[6] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[7] Eachus’ quote is from his book, Gospel: Encountering and Remembering the Good News of Jesus. Downloaded: October 14, 2021. From: https://www.quoteschristian.com/quotesaboutchange.html.