Bible Study - Resilient Faith (2) - Active Faith - 1 Peter 1:14-19, 22-25 - July 20, 2014

Bible Study – Resilient Faith (2) – Active Faith – July 20, 2014

This is lesson (2) in our series entitled “Resilient Faith: Standing Strong in the Midst of Suffering.”

Our focus scripture is 1 Peter 1:14-19, 22-25.

Live a life that is set apart for GOD. That is sanctification. It is not being a recluse but serving as GOD leads you in HIS power and under HIS protection.

Faith in CHRIST is the goal of GOD for every person. The beginning of salvation is when a person takes the step of faith to receive CHRIST as his or her Savior. It is the beginning of the process of strengthening his or her faith in GOD through his or her relationship with CHRIST. It is a process of getting to know GOD and experiencing GOD, not just to know about GOD, as he or she walks with GOD through relationship.

Faith is not static but active. Each day is a new day with new opportunities to obediently serve the living GOD and creator of the universe. Christians can call HIM Father. Now that is amazing, when we read it, but do Christians believe it and live like it? Most of us live defeated lives because we look to our ability and not to GOD’S. It is time that Christians be who they are in CHRIST. Therefore, get ready for action as we continue.  

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:13-16:

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

We had this scripture in last week’s lesson. The mind is ground zero. That is where battles occur and decisions are made. That is why we must yield to the power of the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and bring our minds into unity and harmony with GOD’S will and purpose for us. GOD has to be the power in our lives by setting our hope upon HIM and receiving the grace that only HE provides.

“Therefore” because you, as a born-again Christian, have the assurance of the “living hope”, Peter admonished his readers to:

-         Ready your minds ready for action, - When Christians have the desire to obediently serve GOD, get prepared because GOD will provide the opportunity. Internalize your relationship with GOD through your relationship with CHRIST. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God.

-         Be serious – Christians will need to be mentally prepared refusing to follow false notions or to be caught up in their own self-esteem or self-interest.

-         And set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. At the appointed time, CHRIST will reign supreme and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JESUS IS LORD!!! Stay focused on the hope you have in CHRIST and on the grace GOD gives you as you obediently serve HIM. Why? Because when you decide to obediently serve GOD, Satan will do all he can to trip you up. CHRIST began HIS earthly ministry by being tempted by Satan and so will we.

The Apostle Peter reminds Christians to be Holy because GOD is Holy. Christians are called by GOD to live as GOD’S Sons and Daughters in HIS power and in HIS grace upon earth.

The only book others may read is the Gospel according to you. That is impossible in our strength. It is only possible through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must let CHRIST live through us. We all miss the mark and that is why all Christians need GOD’S grace.

Verses 14-16:

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

Christians must recognize and acknowledge who they are. As obedient children who desire to serve the LORD, they are to not conform to the desires of their former life without CHRIST but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. (Romans 12:2) In their old life, without CHRIST, they were ignorant about obediently serving GOD. Ignorance is not being stupid. Ignorance has a cure, which is experience and education. An ignorant person simply does not know but the Holy Spirit will enlighten and teach all Christians who seek to be taught.

GOD calls all Christians to be Holy as HE is Holy. Don’t most children want to grow up to be just like their parent? As GOD’S children our desire is to grow up to be just like CHRIST. Notice the word “Be” Holy. Remember 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“Be” what GOD has already imputed to you – righteous!!!

As a Christian you are righteous, therefore “be” righteous. Be what you are.

The Apostle Paul stated it well in Ephesians 4:22-24:

22 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

At the moment of salvation this is what took place in your life through the miracle of the rebirth. In essence, you took off your old life like you would your old unclean stinking clothes and put on your new clean, fresh smelling, and bright new clothes of salvation. Yet, most of us fail to walk in the light of truth which has been given to us.

“Be Holy, because I am Holy” and you are MY child. So be what you are - a chip off the block.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:17-19 and 20-21:

17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were • redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

When a person addresses GOD as Father, that statement either comes from a knowledge base of knowing about GOD or knowing GOD. The heart of the person can discern which is true. Peter used the word “if” to cause his readers to think and ponder, “Do you call GOD Father?”  

When a person considers GOD his or her Father, realize that HE is the One Who judges. HE is the One Who gives rewards to HIS children and judges those who are not HIS children. HE is an impartial judge, therefore, conduct yourself according to that which you know HIS desire is for you. HIS desire is obedience. Obedience comes from being obedient because of your love for HIM and trust in HIM. This in turn builds your faith in HIM through a personal, intimate relationship. Faith builds trust and trust builds obedience. It is important that trust is build with GOD and in GOD through our relationship with CHRIST and not with our selves. It is trust in GOD that is vital. Christians do not have to muster up enough faith in their ability to take action. But they must have faith and trust in GOD such that when they do their part HE will take the action needed to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit are GOD’S gifts which are manifested through Christians as they obediently serve HIM in ministry to others. It is GOD’S power and presence which Christians have the opportunity to obediently use as HE directs.   

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13:

13 I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

GOD will judge every Christians works of obedience to determine his or her rewards of obedience. True Christians will not be judged regarding their salvation.

JESUS told us in John 5:24:

24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Yes, there will be rewards for obedience but as a born-again believer your salvation is secure and guaranteed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Every Christian must keep in mind that their time upon earth is temporary when compared to eternity and GOD is the final judge. Fear can be due to fear because of HIS position and power or to honor with awe, reverence and respect.  Here it is a little of both. Christians are to realize who GOD is and live accordingly in honor and respect.

Peter encouraged Christians to realize that “Rewards Day” will come, so live obediently according to GOD’S direction and commands.

Verses: 18-19: (Christians are to live Holy because they are!)

18 For you know that you were • redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Being born a Jew, GOD’S chosen, is not enough for a Jew to enter into heaven. Even though life is eternal, being born as a human does not mean you will automatically go to heaven to live with GOD. A person will either spend eternity in Heaven with GOD and CHRIST or in Hell with Satan and his followers.

GOD allowed JESUS to come to earth to willingly give HIS life to redeem those who will place their faith in HIM from eternal death. Some Jews thought that they had a ticket to heaven because they were born a Jew. Peter made it clear that their earthly birth as a Jew was empty and came up short. No person can be redeemed from eternal death based upon his or her physical birth or ancestral heritage or through any human effort or giving valuable materials such as silver or gold. 

Redemption required the “shedding of the precious blood of CHRIST.” The shed blood of the perfect sacrificial lamb covered the sins of the people. The shed blood of the perfect acceptable sacrifice, JESUS, paid in full the judicial sentence GOD placed on mankind for all who will place their faith and trust in CHRIST. As stated before, the shed blood of CHRIST not only paid in full the judicial penalty imposed by GOD because of sin but HIS shed blood also covers eternally those who place their faith in CHRIST throughout their earthly life and carries them into heaven.

Peter stated three motives for Christians to live Holy:

-         Conduct themselves in fear and reverence of GOD knowing that HE will judge their works. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

-         Consider that we were slaves to sin and eternal death but our faith in CHRIST redeemed us from eternal death to eternal life.

-         Christians were not redeemed with perishable things such as silver or gold but with the precious shed blood of CHRIST. It cost the life of JESUS to set Christians free from eternal death.

Peter ends verse 19 with “like that of a lamb without defect or blemish” to remind the Jewish Christians of how GOD used the shed blood of animals to protect the first born son from the death angel when the Israelites were freed from Egyptian bondage, confirmed HIS covenant with the Israelites as HIS chosen people and atoned for the sins of the people. The ultimate and final perfect, acceptable sacrifice was JESUS giving HIS life in place of all who place their faith in HIM. The shed blood of animals temporarily substituted for the sins of the people until the final sacrifice of JESUS paid in full and for eternity the penalty for sin for those who place their faith in HIM.

There is power in the shed blood of CHRIST, wonder working power and the gospel song goes. Some in society complain that Christianity is a bloody religion. HIS only Son had to die for all who place their faith in HIM to live eternally as HE intended from the beginning. It is like the sign over the restaurant my wife and I ate in Alaska “Take It or Leave It.” Taking JESUS as your Savior gives you salvation and eternal life but rejecting HIM results in eternal death.

When did GOD have a redemptive plan?

Verses 20-21:

20 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

GOD chose CHRIST for HIS redemptive plan before the foundation of the world. GOD also chose us before HE created the world as the Apostle Paul recorded in Ephesians 1:4:

4 For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love.

Redemption and salvation has been made clear through the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension of CHRIST and the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell every Christian. This was done by GOD so that every Christian’s faith and hope are in GOD through CHRIST. CHRIST was GOD in the flesh. If a person cannot understand and comprehend CHRIST, how can he or she even begin to understand and comprehend GOD?

Hebrews 11:6:

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
 

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:22-25:

22 By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the • brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again —not of perishable seed but of imperishable —through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

Knowing truth is the hallmark of being a Christian. Truth renews the hearts and minds of Christians as they grow and mature Spiritually through obedient service. As Christians, our love (philo) for our brothers and sisters grows as our faith in CHRIST grows, which in turn leads to a deeper level of love, agape in true Christians.

A Christian’s love is:

-         Sincere - genuine

-         Earnest – fervently an athletic term meaning “striving with all one’s energy”

-         From a pure heart – real love is pure.

-         GOD’S love flows through to others.

-         Christians are conduits because -

Christians have been born anew from an imperishable seed. That imperishable seed is the “divine sperm.” It is GOD’S Spirit and the living and enduring Word of GOD.

“All flesh” refers to people in their natural state and all will perish. Every person needs to receive the imperishable seed of salvation through faith in CHRIST. The people and the nations of the world they form are like grass, they all will perish like the flower of grass. Grass withers and the flower falls off but the Word of GOD endures forever. The Bible has stood the test of time and critical review. It is the living Word of GOD and it is just as relevant today as the day it was written.

The “Word of GOD” refers to the gospel preached. The “living and enduring word of GOD is the Word that was preached” to evangelize those who are Spiritually lost and condemned to eternal death.  

The Apostles, the Jews, Christians and others had the Old Testament scriptures. They could read the many prophesies written over thousands of years. This was and is a reminder to Christians when they face adverse circumstances, they can rely upon the eternal truth of GOD’S Word.  GOD says what HE means and means what HE says. What is the gospel according to you? Blessings!!!