Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayerful attention to 1 Peter chapter 1 and verses 13 through to 16. Last Thursday, we considered a salvation of great interest, of interest right through the prophets and then in the New Testament, the apostles, the people of God, but also the angels themselves.

A great salvation. And after looking at that, after going through that, Peter here, he starts the section that I want to look at this evening with a wherefore. And it is an exhortation to holiness. So this is the fifth one in the Epistle of Peter series. We'll read from verse 13.

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 fastening 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. We are told in Hebrews chapter 12 that without holiness it is impossible to see the Lord. But the question is, is that holiness, a holiness that is then our works that we are required to perform to a certain level and attain to a certain holiness to be able to see the Lord, or is it a holiness that is perfect, given us as justified in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must make this distinction here. What Peter is exhorting to here is a holiness in our outward walk and our conduct before men and before God. It is our sanctification being reworked on by God to make us to be what he'd have us to be. And of course that does extend to our thoughts, our affections, everything about us.

But what it is not setting forth is that holiness that is perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ. Where the Lord works in a sinner's heart, then he will give in that instance, he will give that justifying faith, the gift of faith, and he gives the new birth which is perfect and spotless and holy. It comes from above. There's nothing of sin in it. There's nothing of this world. It is completely new. It is a holy calling. We need to remember that because the standing of a child of God is in Christ's righteousness alone.

It is in what he has done and imputed and given to a believer. And that is the believer's hope and that is his trust. And if we realise that, then we won't be one moment assured of our interest in salvation, and another think not, because we have fallen, because we have transgressed, because we are mindful of our sinnership and of our uncleanness. It must be said, though, that where God's work is, that it shall be known by our fruits, and that those that have made a profession should be careful to maintain good works.

Abraham was not justified by works in one sense, but in another he was, because he believed God. But then he went and he offered up Isaac. If he had just said, I believe that God can raise Isaac from the dead, but stayed where he was, then he would not have evidenced that faith that actually bore fruit and works.

This is what Luther struggled with the book of James, because his eyes were open from the Roman Catholic Church that preached a salvation by works, dependent upon works. And he was set loose by the word in Romans, chapter 1, verse 17, that it is justified by faith, and is by faith alone. So he struggled with the epistle to James, but James is dealing not with our justification but in our sanctification and in the fruits of faith. And so he says You show me your works and I will show you my faith by my works.

It is impossible that one that is truly quickened will not have those fruits to the honour and glory of God. But it is also true that those fruits and that holiness will not be perfect. It will not be that which we stand before God. faultless. Our standing is in Christ alone.

Poor Peter here was writing to those that already were called, they were elect, they were sanctified through sanctification of the spirit and through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. They've been begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Those that have been quickened, they've got a new nature, they have been given faith, they've been given a hearing ear, they've been given a renewed will, and to them then is many exhortations in the word. as to how they are to live their lives, and this is what Peter then is setting forth. And a reminder, this follows on from the salvation, the great salvation that he's spoken of. It's not a substitute or another way of obtaining that salvation, but it's what flows from it, that which glorifies God, that which is and praiseworthy before men. They took knowledge of the apostles that they had been with Jesus and their works, they glorified the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I want to look with the Lord's help this evening, firstly, at a right mindset for sanctification. We read that especially in verse 13. Therefore 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. So firstly, a right mindset for sanctification.

But secondly, the obedience called for to not return to our past sinful life. Verse 14, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. And then lastly, an exhortation to holiness. Verse 15 and 16, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation or walk life, because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy.

So firstly a right mindset. We're exhorted here to gird up the loins of our minds. And the idea, the picture is like the flowing robes of those in Bible times. If they were to run like Elijah was to run before Ahab, if they were to run like Gehazi to the Shunammite woman's son, they were told to gird up their loins. Because those flowing roads would hinder their running, they then picked up their flowing skirts and tucked them under their belt, under their sash, and were able then to run freely. And so this idea of girding up the loins of our mind, it's our minds that are running to this thing and that thing, all the time active. And Samas says, I hate vain thoughts.

Well, that often is what our mind is. If you go to a library and you see the bookshelves, most of the shelves will be fiction. And all it is is the figment of men's imagination Rather than actually live out a life, they imagine a perfect life where they can dictate the beginning and the end and everything that happens in that life instead of dwelling on reality. And our minds are full of imaginations, full of thoughts, full of fears, full of things that we're devising and scheming. and imagining all the time. It was set forth in Noah's day that the Lord knew that the imagination of the heart of man was only evil continually.

All the time is that busy workshop that is going on within. And so we are exhorted here to gird that up, not allow our minds just to run riot. and to just go to this and that. And how are we to gird them up? If we were to go back to Ephesians, then we are told in the chapter 6, which is dealing with the Christian's armour, that one effect of that is a girding up with the truth. In chapter 6, And verse 14, stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And so we have it also in setting forth in Isaiah, there are several chapters that speak about righteousness as a girding of righteousness or girding of truth.

And that is completely opposite to these fictitious thoughts. If you were to go to Paul's epistle to the Philippians, and he speaks of that way, whereby the peace of God that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds. It is when we're careful for nothing, but when we're in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, making our requests known to God. And then he gives direction as to thoughts. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. And so there's a direction regarding thoughts there. And this is what the apostle, when he seeks to direct to holiness, the first thing is to gird in these thoughts that often are completely unholy, they're untrue, they're not pure, they're not a good report, they need to be reined in.

How many of us can say amen to that? And to say yes and acknowledge it, my thoughts, they need to be reined in. They mustn't be allowed to go on, but they're so prone to do so, they're so lively. And almost before I even know it, my thoughts have gone away.

Even in the service of the house of God, they're so prone to go away. Then we think of the picture that we have of the Passover. When the Passover was instituted, they had to be right ready to depart. And part of that readiness was their shoes on their feet and their loins girded. It pictures a readiness to depart. And then we're exhorted here to be sober. Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober.

That is, in a way, to think seriously of what is being set before us here, what is the way of the Lord. We need to ask ourselves, do we want to be sanctified? Do we want to be cleansed? Do we want to be like the Lord? Or are we just happy to drift along and follow every dictate of our fallen nature? And are we in a mindset to want to try to be what the Lord would have us to be, and to be willing to search the scriptures as to what the Lord would have us to be.

Have we counted the cost, the difficulty, the conflict with our old nature, the warfare that will be, and to realize it will be such a fight We read in Hebrews 12, you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Paul, he says, I keep under my body, lest when I preach to others, I myself am a cast away. And it is spoken of as taking up the cross. Are we ready to take up that cross, to take up that fight? that which puts us at odds with the world and Satan and the things of this world. Are we ready? Are we willing? Or do we have a right mindset that where we go wrong, that the Lord in love, as we have set forth in Hebrews 12, will chasten us and correct us.

This was one of the things that was said to Israel when they said that they wanted the Lord to be their God. It was asked, are you ready then to serve Him, to obey Him, and that the Lord will chasten you and correct you? He is a holy God. If you want to be His people, to serve His people, you must realize that you come under His discipline, under His right. And so there's a sober considering and thinking and what it actually means to be a Christian, a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, a disciple of his, and one that is to be made like him, and formed and fashioned, sanctified meat for the Master's use.

A people that are prepared for himself, his bride being prepared for himself, the heavenly pride grim, washed with washing of water by the Word, as we have set forth in Ephesians 6. But then we have in this verse also, and hope, hope to the end for the grace, that grace that is needed. You know the Lord doesn't set before us a path of holiness, of sanctification, and say, this is all up to you. I won't give you any help. I won't give you any grace. I won't give you any ability, any strength. No, we are told we've got hope.

That's the incentive to cry to the Lord, to pray for help, to pray for strength, to pray for help to resist the devil, to trust in the Lord and every visit of the Lord. He gives that strength. How many times we may have tried and tried to do what's right, but the fear of man brought us a snare. We couldn't fulfil it, we couldn't walk rightly until the Lord came in and blessed our souls and then everything was set right. Thou only has wrought all our works in us. It's not just hoping.

You might say for that short term helps, but it's looking beyond, it's looking to the glory that the Lord has prepared for his people. And when the Lord shall come, that then we shall lift up our heads with joy. We shall be glad of his coming as being subject of his work and being mindful of his holiness and holy ways through our lives. It is a vital thing to have a right mindset, to be thinking rightly, to be a people made willing.

If we think of it as we were by nature, we were not willing. We did not want to change. We did not want to walk in the Lord's ways. We did not even want to know about the Lord's ways. But now it's a different mind. Willing in the day of God's power. And this then is what Peter highlights. is needful right at the very start of this exaltation to holiness. What kind of a mindset have we? Are we willing? Are we ready? Do we want to walk in this way?

You might view tremendous opposition, wicked deceitful heart, many habits that have been formed in unregeneracy and hard to throw off. Many thought patterns that are wrong, many lusts. Dear David, in Psalm 38, my loins are filled with a loathsome disease. How many men would follow on and say, amen, so am I? Those things we're mindful of, such opposition.

But to have a mindset saying, Lord, I would be holy. I would seek after thy ways and to pray that the Lord would give grace and help so to do. I want to look then secondly at the obedience called forth and it's very specific in this verse. is not just any obedience. God's children are to be obedient to the Lord in all things, in the ordinances of his house, in the way that they bring up their families, their children, in the way that we walk. But here is a very specific thing, a personal thing, that is set before us.

And that is obedience in not fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts in our ignorance. Really it sets forth this, if a child of God will know what will be the most predominant temptations and the way that Satan will try to draw you away in will be those very things that the Lord separated you from when he called you by grace. When we were in our ignorance, whatever was our lust, whatever was our lifestyle, whatever worldly things we loved, whatever ways we indulged and went in, and the Lord, by his grace, separated us from them, changed our path, changed our life, yet still those things, Our old nature is still the same. Our propensities are still the same.

And those things are the things that will rise up. In a way, it focuses us each on things that are personal to us, instead of giving a whole list of things. And there are many in the Word of God, and we may look at some of these. But it really caused each individual believer to think, what was it that the Lord made such a change in the beginning? What was it he made me so willing to give up and to change and to repent of and to be sorry for?

Those are the things that are most likely to ensnare, entrap, battle and fight against you now. And so, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. It ever might tempt and say, look, if you were really saved, you wouldn't still lust after those things. You wouldn't still go after those things.

But Peter says, oh, yes. Oh, yes, all nature will. But you are called to obey now your Lord and Master in willingly crucifying these things, putting them to death, resisting them, striving against them. Look at some of the other passages that speak of this, and it shows it to be such a common a common path for the people of God to walk in.

If we're to look at the Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. Ephesians chapter two and the first three verses. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, 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, 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. Then he speaks of the great change, what the Lord has done in quickening, But this is a picture what we were, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. This is why Peter has directed the right mindset first. But there's a tendency to go back to these things.

If you were to go to the fourth chapter of Ephesians and verse 22, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. If we go back to Paul's first epistle of To the Corinthians he speaks of their path and a similar thing in chapter 6 and verse 9. 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.

Then he says, 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. And so what he says there is our standing, our sanctification, our justification is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

But he also sets forth what a change had been wrought, what a difference had been made in their lives. But as Peter highlights, that very difference are those very same things that we are most likely to go back into, be tempted to go in that way. If we were to look at Titus chapter 3 and verses 3 to 6, for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of a God our Savior 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 is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. The Lord has made that difference in our call, in our cleansing. He has powerfully made that difference.

But then, then we are called, and this doesn't add to our salvation, but it proves the reality of it. By their fruit ye shall know them, People then that are spoken to, as Peter does here, highlights what was your former life. Don't fashion yourself after that.

Willingly, willingly seek God's grace and help to resist going back, but to walk willingly in the ways of the Lord. Those are blessed days, those days of first love, where the Lord has wrought in us powerfully and mightily, brought us out like the children of Israel from Egypt with a strong hand. Those are blessed days to look upon. It is not just believing in the name of the Lord and then attempting to imitate God's people by our own works. The Lord has wrought that immediately in us. But then there is the ongoing fight, there is the ongoing work, and that ongoing sanctification.

Sanctification is setting apart for a holy use. And those people that are the holy people of God, They are like the children of Israel, separated from other nations. And the Lord was very clear, it wasn't because they were greater people, it wasn't because they were better people, they were rebellious people. But their separation was by God, by his electing love and mercy and grace.

It made me notice this very specific point where we are called to obedience. We could think of many things that we could be exhorted to be obedient to throughout the word of God, but the apostle in holiness, in sanctification, he draws our attention to our former lusts in our ignorance. May we help that. to recognize, and to be willing to fight, to resist, to cry to the Lord. We need this encouragement. We need to be strengthened in this path. We need to be of those that have the right mindset, realizing that this is the path the Lord would have us to go. And it is worth it. It is worth it. Every fight, every resistance, think of that which the Lord has prepared for his people and that which is to come. And those things that are beautiful and holy and lovely. Well, I want to look then at our last point, which is, the verses 15 and 16, an exhortation to holiness.

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. We can never, ever be holy the same as our Lord, who is perfectly holy, spotless, sinless, pure. But the Lord does call us to be imitators of his holiness, to be like unto him.

This word is quoted by Peter and it's quoted from Leviticus chapter 11 and verses 44 to 45. Our holiness then first is that positional one, wholly set apart for an honourable use, and God in his calling and justifying us in regeneration, he makes us holy in his sight. It is then followed by that renewing of the mind, our first part and first point this evening. We think of how it is set forth by Paul when he writes to the Romans, Romans chapter 12 and in the second verse.

He says, 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. In the first verse he'd put, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. acceptable sacrifice. It sets forth that real fight, battle, the path of the people of God as they desire in this world with a body of death to live to the honour and glory of God. Paul, he says, the good that I would I do not, the evil that I would not that I do, a wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. I like the way the Apostle sets forth the letter to the Romans, how that he sets forth justification by faith in Christ alone in the first chapters, especially chapters four and five, in chapter one as well. But having set forth that so clearly, then it's as if he thinks this in his mind. The people then will think, well, because we are justified solely through Christ and not by our own works, we can live as we like.

We don't need holiness. We can just sin that grace might abound. And so he poses the question, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace might abound? And in chapter six, he gives all the reasons, the arguments, why we should not continue in sin. That sin should not have dominion over us, but that we should be under the Lord and not under sin.

But then after he's set forth that and he closes that chapter What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death, but now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But then when he comes to the end of that, it's almost as if he would think, well, now I've set forth a path of holiness, a path of godliness.

The people will be very mindful of their sin and how far they come short and that their holiness and sanctification is not perfect. They cannot do what they want to do. And so that's where chapter seven comes through. clearly showing himself with the right mindset, when I would do good, evil is present within me. He says, if I do that which I would not, is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

He says that it is with the mind. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God. But with the flesh, the law of sin, he had a right mindset. The Lord gave him that right mind. That sin was still working within.

The hymn writer says, though our outside be kept clean, he knows the filth within. We do. We feel it within. It's a wonderful thing. Lord keeps the lid on, keeps the outside clean, but we mourn over that filth and that defilement within. Another hymn says, Christ has holiness enough to sanctify us all. And that is the grace that Peter speaks of here, that we're to hope for and to look for. Peter in his exhortation to holiness doesn't confine him just to one aspect of our lives. He says, as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, in our workplace, at school, in the church of God, in the town where we live, in our families.

We are one person. It's like the Lord said of Nathanael, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, He wasn't just putting on an act, a performance, and sometimes his guard dropped and he returned to what he was really like. No. His whole being was changed. And so in everything that he did, the grace of God will make that difference in all of our lives. But what a fight it is.

We said with Peter, one of the charges that was given him was to strengthen his brethren. It is strengthening that we leave those paths of sin and wickedness and seek to walk in ways of holiness and uprightness. But it's strengthening to know that we do need to be exhorted in this way, because we have an adversary and we have a wicked heart. And we are to know that our salvation, our eternal security, is not dependent upon us making ourselves holy and fit for heaven, but our whole standing is through Christ and his precious blood. And that should make us then willing, willing to walk in the Lord's ways willing to do what he bids and to be more and more like him. We need such exhortations, dear friends. Sometimes we can grow prayerless, careless, indifferent. We're not watchful. We're not in a mindset to resist when the devil comes in.

And when our old flesh craves those same temptations and lusts that we had before. It's good sometimes to remember those early days. Remember when we were so tender, had a tender conscience, a teachable spirit, that we fled from all appearance of sin and evil, that we hated the sin in us, and we sought in every opportunity to crucify it. Our language was like the hymn writer, crucify this self, that I know more, but Christ in me may live. Let all my vile affections die, nor let one hateful lust survive. Those are the desires of a living soul, and we need to be exhorted to remind reminded of that mindset that is needful. And may we be helped to pray for the grace and help that the Lord would give us that strength and help, that it be not left to times when we're severely chastised, but that we might obey the word and that we might avoid much sorrow and grief and trouble. in our own hearts, that we grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. May the Lord bless this word, an exhortation to holiness. Amen.