1 Peter chapter 1. I want to focus primarily this
morning on verse 13. In the first 12 verses of Peter's
epistle, he sets before us the hope of God's elect. He states it very clearly, just
as Paul did in his epistle. just as John did in his gospel
and in his epistles. And he sets before us the hidden
mystery of the Old Testament Scriptures and a clear and concise
description of the coming of the Redeemer, His work, and of
the age that should follow the coming of Christ. And then he
gives us this exhortation. 1 Peter 1, verse 13. Wherefore, that is based on everything
that He's just told us, based on these principles that He's
laid down, these declarations that He's given us. Wherefore,
gird up the loins of your mind and be sober. That word's not
talking about not being drunk. That word is talking about seriousness. Be serious. Be sober. Be attentive. Don't be flippant in your conversations
or in your consideration of these things. 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. Now this verse, I believe, refers
back to what Peter said in verses 8 and 9. You go back there and
look at those. Whom, having not seen, ye love. In whom, though now ye see him
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation
of your souls. The grace of God in election
in the appropriation of Christ by God the Father, in the appointments of Christ
as our substitute and representative of his incarnation as a man,
of his accomplished redemption, of his resurrection and ascension
into glory, and of his present rule and gift to his beloved
church. This is the grace of God. When
we're talking about the grace of God coming, we're not talking
about grace as a passion. We're talking about grace as
a purpose of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This
is the grace of God. And all of these things are brought
to chosen sinners by the revelation of Jesus Christ. There's no other
way to know these things about God except in the person of Christ. When Christ came, He revealed
these things. He is the revelation of these
things. This is how we know these things.
John said, we know that the Son of God hath come and given to
us an understanding that we might know Him that's true, that we
might know we're in Him that is true. This is the true God
and eternal life. That's 1 John 5, 20. All of these things are brought
to chosen sinners by the revelation of Jesus Christ. A conscience
disturbed by the conviction of the Holy Spirit cannot be soothed
until the blood and righteousness of Christ is applied. Not going to be soothed. And
Peter describes this work in verse 2 as sanctification of
the spirit and belief of the truth. Sanctification of the spirit
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Those described in verse 9 as having the end of their faith,
even the salvation of their souls, are those who have been given
the revelation of Christ. They have Christ by a true and
eternal knowledge. A knowledge, it's a divine knowledge,
a divine revelation given to them of God. They know what most
of this world is totally ignorant of. They know who God is. You know, when I was a young
man going to church, and we have activities in the church, it
was a Nazarene church, but it wasn't so different from other
churches. A little different in church
government, a little different in some of their beliefs, but
we were like an average church, and we had activities, and people
gathered there, and the thought of these people not knowing God
never entered my mind. The thought of myself not knowing
God never entered my mind. I thought I knew who God was. This world is ignorant of who
God is. They don't know God is holy. They don't know that God is righteous. They don't know that the God
of glory is unchangeable. He never changes. I'm the Lord.
I change not. They're totally ignorant that
those things which God does and which God gives never change. They never change. And we want to take things and
make excuses and say, well, you know, I know this is what God
does, but he don't do it here because I didn't have any of
that. Be careful what you say about the living God. God doesn't
change. And James applies that unchangeableness
to his gifts. He said, every good gift and
every perfect gift cometh from above. It cometh down from the
Father of lights, with whom is what? No variableness, neither
shadow of turning. And then what you say, of his
own will begat he us with the word of truth. Is he going to change that? He's
not going to change that. These things are brought to chosen
sinners through the divine purpose of God by grace, and it's a revelation
of Jesus Christ. And those described in verse
9 as having the end of their faith, even the salvation of
their souls, are those who have been given the revelation of
Christ. Now, let me see if I can show
you that in the Scriptures. Turn with me, first of all, over
to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. He tells us in verse 5, for we
preach not ourselves, Now let me just pause there for
a second and make some comments about that. We preach not ourselves. What does that mean? It means
that he was not there by his own accord. He was a happy man
as a Pharisee. He was as far up the ladder as
he could go in religion. He was out doing what he believed
was right. He was going down seeking papers
to arrest these Christians because he believed that what they were
doing was an abomination to God. He was a happy man until God
arrested him, revealed Christ to him, and called him by his
grace. And now Paul says that he's not
there by his own accord or for any private ambition. He was
there preaching to them by the purpose, arrangement, and power
of God. How shall they preach, the scripture
said, and Paul taught this, declared this in Romans 10. How shall
they preach except they be sent? Secondly, he means by this thing
we preach not ourselves in the sense that he did not learn or
rely on his own wit, talents, or education or training to make
his preaching effectual. He said, when I come to you Corinthians,
he said, I come not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but I
came in demonstration of the spirit and of power. I simply
preached and declared to you the truth and turned those things
over to God to do with what he will. He didn't look to himself. He didn't look to his own arguments
and so on. He confessed in the previous
chapter of the same epistle that he was not sufficient of himself
to think anything of himself and that his sufficiency was
of God who made him an able minister of the New Testament of the Spirit. Thirdly, he meant by saying,
we preach not ourselves, that he did not in any way preach
a gospel that left men to their own strength to produce what
God demanded from them, faith. in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
gospel does not leave men looking to themselves, but looking away
from themselves to Christ. Are you with me so far? When I preach the gospel to you,
I don't leave you looking to yourself to try to produce something.
I leave you with the declaration of Christ. I'm going to do everything
in my power this morning in this Sunday school lesson and in the
main worship service to point you to Christ. Point you to Christ. And if God is merciful and gracious
and gives you the gift of faith, he'll leave you looking only
to Christ. You'll drop everything else.
You'll just turn it loose. Isn't that what Paul said he
did? He said, do you think you've
got some confidence in the flesh? He said, I have more over in
Philippians chapter 3. He said, I have more now. Nobody in this place could say
that they were circumcised on the eighth day. He was, according
to the law. He was a true son of Abraham.
He could trace his roots all the way back to Abraham. As far
as schooling, he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was a master
theologian, the Apostle Paul. He said, I count all these things,
now listen, but don't, that I might win Christ and be found in Him. Effectual calling begins with
an inward work of the Spirit of God which enables the sinner
to receive God's testimony concerning his sin. His sin. This world don't know they're
sinners. I mean, they know they lied, they told a lie, they know
that they stole something, you know, when somebody wasn't looking,
they got something and stole it, or they went out and sold
some wild... They know they're not perfect
in any sense of the word, but they always feel comfortable
in that they can find somebody worse than they are. And this
is what they'll tell you when you start talking to them about
sin. Well, yeah, I'm a sinner, but I'm not like him. No, you're
worse. You're worse than him. See, you
hate God. You didn't know that, did you?
Huh? The natural mind, the carnal
mind, is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. People don't know that. Effectual calling begins with
an inward work of the Spirit of God which enables the sinner
to receive God's testimony concerning his sin. Seeing then himself
hopeless and helpless and without excuse, God makes his gospel
to shine out of darkness. He shows to him His glory, the
glory of His mercy, love, and grace in the person and work
of His Son. He shuts the sinner up to Christ. And this is what Paul's telling
them. He said, we don't preach ourselves. We preach a person,
but we don't preach ourselves. We preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.
Now, let's look here at this scripture here in 1 Corinthians. I told you to turn to 2 Corinthians
4, and then I didn't turn. We preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord, verse 5, 2 Corinthians 4. And ourselves,
your servants, for Jesus' sake, for God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Now, that's what happens when
a man hears the gospel. He sees the glory of God as it's
revealed in the person and work of Christ. He sees God's glory. God's glory is his character.
He sees the character of God. He sees the glory of God. He
sees the glory of God's justice, the glory of God's righteousness,
the glory of God's mercy and grace, the glory of God's love. He sees all of these things in
the person and work of Jesus Christ. It's revealed to him.
He sees it. He understands it. He's shut
up to Christ. All right? Look over here at
1 Corinthians 2. Here's another Scripture over
here in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 7. He said, but we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the world under our glory. Now think about what Paul's saying
here. His preaching was not to set
forth to men His preaching was to set forth
before men a great mystery, something this world was ignorant of, a
mystery hidden in places far above men, a mystery that had
its beginning, that had its brightness somewhere other than here, a
divine mystery far above men, a mystery hidden in the counsels
of Almighty God. And they were hidden in the types
and in the ceremonies and in the similitudes all through the
Old Testament. Hidden. They observed them. They knew them. The Jews knew
them. But they didn't see Christ in them. They didn't see Christ
in them. Verse 8, which none of the princes
of this world knew. That is, these great men in Israel. They didn't know that. They didn't
know that. The kings of this world didn't
know that. None of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory. But as it is written, I hath
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit. For the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Paul's subject here began clear
back in the beginning of chapter 1 where he began to speak to
this church about the testimony being confirmed in them, this
testimony of Christ, God's gospel of Christ. And he continues all
through chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3. He just keeps talking
about these things. Continues all the way up to this
verse and then even afterward. This verse does not leave the
preaching of the gospel, but it sits forth as the work of
the Holy Spirit, these things in the revelation of Jesus Christ. The preacher does not just speak
into the air. Paul said, I'm not as one that
beateth the air. Preachers were a true preacher
of God. If I'm here this morning, and
I'm called of God to preach his gospel, my words not just going
to go out into the air. They're going to be effectual
one way or the other, one way or the other. He doesn't just speak into there.
His words are heard, His words are understood, and they're weighed
in the minds and hearts of His hearers. And some, by the grace
of God, some will receive the revelation of Christ, and those
who do, do so by the power of God's Spirit. There's no other
way that a man can receive it. Our Gospel, Paul said, came not
unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. And assurance comes if we're
convinced of the sufficiency of Christ our Savior. Assurance
doesn't come because you say, boy, I feel it now. Now I've got some assurance.
No, that's not where assurance comes from. Assurance comes when
you understand something of the sufficiency of Christ, the fact
that He cannot fail. This is Almighty God in the person
of a man and He cannot fail. Failure is beyond reason with
Him. I go back to our text in 1 Peter
1. Look with me at verse 14. as obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. And
this verse has a couple of different applications of what he just
said there. One is to the heathen whose former
life was shaped under the deception of a false god and a false religion. We've got people here this morning,
my wife is one of them, who didn't go to church. And whatever thoughts
and ideas she had about the God of glory was formed from philosophy
and from the school that we all attended, from public school
and from history books and all that type of stuff. And your
life is shaped according to what you think about those things,
whether they're right or wrong or indifferent. And then false
religion. False religion, which has no
more than an evil and corrupt mind, might devise. That's false religion. Paul describes such men in Romans
1 saying, they become vain in their imaginations. People with no revelation of
Christ, no work of the Spirit, men left to themselves, they
become vain in their imaginations. Their foolish hearts are darkened
and professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. And
they change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like unto man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping
things. They shape themselves according
to their twisted desires and ignorance. And then the second
application might be to the Jew. This man carried a Bible. I'm always glad to see even our
young people carrying Bibles. The Jew shaped his life according
to his religion and his traditional understanding. He carried and
studied the Bible. He knew the law. He promoted
the law of God. He formed opinions and beliefs
according to traditional reasoning. But not having the revelation
of Christ in his twisted mind and heart, he misunderstood and
misapplied the Word of God and fashioned himself accordingly.
So here he said, don't fashion yourself according to those former
lusts, those former desires, those former ways. This is not
how a believer shapes his life. Back then you believed in a salvation
that you could accomplish yourself. You believe you could win God's
favor and blessing by living a clean moral life. Well, if
I just straighten myself up and quit going down to the bar and
quit running around on my wife and get out here and put my nose
to the grindstone and go to work and go to church, then God will
smile on me. No, he won't. No, he won't. That's how we used to believe.
He quit smoking. He quit drinking. He quit all
of his bad habits. Bought him some religious clothes.
Got him a religious haircut. Learned to speak a religious
language. And then others, not religious
at all, philosophical. Intellectuals, they lived their
lives rising above others because of their higher learning. I have
those in my own family that I try to witness to and I can't witness
to them. They're way up here on the pinnacle somewhere and
they won't listen to me. Now, if I had a bunch of degrees
and things behind me and on the wall, they might at least give
me a hearing. But they're not even going to
give me a hearing. They're not even going to consider what it
is I'm saying because I'm so far beneath them. Men shape their
lives this way. And of such men, the idea of
God, heaven, and hell was foolishness. They sought after wisdom. They
worshipped themselves and promoted themselves. Anyway, here's what
I'm trying to say. Believers do not resort back
to their former ignorance, idolatry, and ways in the shaping of their
lives. Listen to what Paul tells the
Gentiles in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 17. He said, this I
say, therefore, and testify unto the Lord, that ye henceforth
walk not as other Gentiles walk. How did they walk? In the vanity
of their minds. Isn't that what I just got through
telling you? Giving you some examples of it. They walk in
the vanities of their minds. All right. Back to 1 Peter 1,
verse 15. But as he which hath called you
is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of behavior, conversation,
because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy. Now, I want to ask you a question. How is it that a fallen, depraved
man or a woman can be holy? Anybody here this morning feel
like they're holy? Huh? I want you to think about
this now. Because I hear men out here talking
about it all the time. We're a holiness church. We're
a holiness church. I hear preachers talking about
it all the time, exhorting their people to live a holy life. How is it that a fallen, depraved
man or woman can be holy? Strictly speaking, And I challenge
you, go through the Bible, get you a concordance. It'll give
you everywhere that word appears in the Word of God. Get you a
strong concordance. Look up the word holy. It'll
give you every reference in the Bible where that word's used.
Go back and look at it. Strictly speaking, the word holy
is only applicable to God. Go through there and read it.
Go through there and read it. As there is none righteous and
none good, so there is none holy. For to be holy, one must be righteous,
and he must be good. Is that right? You can't be holy
and not be good, and there's none good. You can't be righteous. Israel
was ignorantly going about trying to establish their own righteousness,
would not submit to the righteousness of God which was in Christ. There's none righteous. If there's
none righteous, then there can't be any holy. The Scripture says in Ecclesiastes
chapter 7 verse 20, there's not a just man upon the earth that
doeth good and sinneth not, not one. If there are no just men upon
the earth, there could be none holy, because to be holy, one
must be just. Holy is that which, strictly
speaking, is applicable to God alone. There's only one sense
in which we can apply this word holy to chosen sinners, and that
is by virtue of their union with Christ. God chose them, he tells
us, back in Ephesians chapter 1. He blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be what? Holy. Ain't that what that says? That's the only way a man can
be holy, is to be in Christ. If God has chosen me and called
me and revealed Christ to me by faith and I see myself in
union with Him, I have holiness, true holiness. God's purpose in choosing us
and blessing us in Christ is that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love. Ephesians 5.25, said Christ loved
His church, gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might
present it to Himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. And then listen to this over
in Colossians 1.21. And you, Paul said, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy. Isn't that something? Holy and
unblameable and unreprovable. in his sight. To call a man's
obedience holiness must be an abomination in the ears of a
holy God. It makes me nauseous when a man
starts talking about his holiness. I can't even imagine what it
must be in the ears of a holy God. Believers are holy by virtue
of their union with Christ. And these verses, nor any of
those in this epistle, are instructing believers to walk in a holiness
of their own making. Rather, he's telling those who
have received the revelation of Christ to walk accordingly. Well, what does that mean? That
means walk as chosen sinners who, by the grace and mercy of
God, have been called out of darkness. If you want to walk
in holiness, walk in Christ. Walk in grace. Be thankful. Live lives of compassion, being
gracious and merciful to others, being thankful to God for your
calling and election, being thankful for the gospel you heard and
the grace which made it effectual in your heart. Don't resort back
to ignorant religion or philosophy or pagan darkness. Don't fashion
yourselves as before, but live your lives under the free and
sovereign grace of God in Christ, being holy.