How Should We Then Live

In the first-century, the anchor was a symbol for hope and steadfastness for Christians suffering persecution. Anchors are found in many inscriptions in the catacombs of Rome, and they were worn by many Christians as a sign that their hope was in Christ alone. The source for this symbol is found in Hebrews 6:19,
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”

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Old Testament Reading – Psalm 62:1-12
New Testament Reading – Titus 2:1-15   

How Should We Then Live
“The Validation of Our Salvation”
1 Peter 1:13-17

Pastor Wayne J. Edwards

   The theme of all scripture is God’s plan for man’s redemption –

i.e., our eternal salvation. The first chapter of Peter’s first epistle addresses three aspects of our eternal salvation.

• The Assurance of our Salvation – We were chosen, in Christ, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, and to doubt this is to question God’s love for us as sinners, and Christ’s work upon the cross to save us.
• The Celebration of our Salvation – the Bible speaks of our salvation’s history and mystery, about which many Christians know very little. Peter said the theme of our salvation was central to the:
  • The prophet’s inspiration –
  • The Holy Spirit’s revelation –
  • The Apostle’s proclamation –
  • The Angel’s investigation –
  • The Validation of our Salvation – those who receive God’s gift of eternal salvation are under obligation to God, to others, and to themselves to live up to their calling; to manifest the image of God to the world by:

1. Living in Hope – Vs.13 – “Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

• Peter’s letters were to Jewish Christians who were facing severe persecution for their expressed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and therefore their Savior and Lord.
• However, rather than sympathizing with them in their suffering, Peter challenged them to rejoice in their suffering, knowing their faith in Jesus Christ was worthy of persecution.
• Peter exhorted them to fix their hope on the grace that would be theirs at the second coming of Christ to this earth.
• Peter wrote this verse differently from the others.
  • Fact: God has chosen you to be saved!
  • Fact: God is preserving your eternal salvation!
  • Imperative command: Rest your hope upon that grace!
• Hope and Faith are of the same essence:
  • Faith looks backward and takes God’s Word regarding what He has done.
  • Hope looks forward and takes God’s Word on what He has promised to do.
  • The first obligation we have to God for all He has done for us is to live our lives in hope, not for the restoration of the affairs of this world, but in our glorification when Christ returns to this world.
  • To do that, Peter said Christians must:
    • Gird up the loins of our mind – rather than having an open mind about the things of God, we should disengage from the world and fix our minds on the return of Christ.
    • Be sober – not becoming intoxicated with the elixir of the world to the point that we lose our hope in God.
  • To validate our salvation, we must get serious about the things of God, especially about our eternal future with Him, for soon and very soon, we will give account of our lives unto Him.

2. Living in Holiness – Vs. 14 –16 – “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, be holy, for I am holy.”

• Christians who live their lives in hope take time to be holy in respect for the character of our Heavenly Father.
• Some will ask: “If obedience is our pattern, we will ever disobey God?”
  • Yes, because we are still sinners with an active sin nature that must be subdued continuously.
• Some will ask: “Will we ever achieve perfection?”
  • No, but we are to strive for it by not conforming to the ways of the world, or to the way we lived before we were saved, and by allowing the Holy Spirit to do whatever He needs to do to conform us to the image of Christ who lives within us.
  • Rather than self-satisfaction, we practice self-sacrifice.
  • Rather than self-gratification, we practice self-denial.
  • Rather than self-glorification, we glorify Christ in all we say and do.
  • 2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
  • Ephesians 5:1-5 – “Be imitators of God, walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma, but fornication, uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this, you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
  • The validation of our salvation is revealed by the transformation of our lives.
    • We no longer walk according to the course of this world.
    • We walk in the pursuit of holiness, without which we will not see God.
    • God did not SET the standard – He IS the standard, and He has never lowered His standard for His children.
    • Matthew 5:48 – “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

3. To fear God – Vs. 17 – 19 – “If you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ.”

• The Greek word translated in this verse as “fear” does not mean to be “afraid of God,” but to reverence God, respect God, and give Him the honor due His holy name.
• Peter exhorted Christians facing persecution to respect God more than they feared those who were persecuting them, for while God would judge their persecutors, He would also judge them for their response to the persecutors.
• Rather than to expect God to release His wrath upon those who were persecuting them for their faith, they needed to be asking God to increase their faith to be His witnesses to those who were persecuting them. Matthew 5:43-47

Applications:

• While God will judge the lawlessness, unrighteousness and ungodliness going on in the world today, He will also judge the attitude of our hearts toward the ungodly and unrighteous.
• For many years, Christians have put their hope in the political, judicial, and educational systems to establish, monitor, and control our society’s moral behavior.
• While we should elect Godly people to public office, we dare not put our hope in them, or we will fail.
• Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”

Personal Evaluations:

• Is your hope for the future in God alone?
• Would others say you are living a holy life?
• Do you have a healthy fear of a holy God?
• If we are truly born again, we have an obligation to live before Him in hope, holiness, honor, and in constant anticipation of His return for us, and His return with us.
• Maranatha – “Our Lord is coming, and he will judge those who have set him at nought.”