INTRODUCTION (SECURE ATTENTION) & BACKGROUND OF THE PASSAGE:
PRAY before starting the sermon.
I’m concerned about today’s youth.
Today’s youth have more avenues for temptation than any other generation in the past.
With the tap on a phone screen, the youth are exposed to all sorts of evil.
Many young people are spending their time and energy in sinful activities which displeases God.
Further, since many young people don’t see fear of God in their parents, the same attitude creeps into their lives as well.
That’s why we need to heed the call that apostle Peter is giving us today.
Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to 1 PETER 1:14-19 (READ)?
I have entitled today’s sermon as: “A CALL TO HOLINESS AND REVERENCE."
This letter is written to "God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (1:1—all these places are in northern Asia Minor or modern Turkey).
The churches in these places comprised of Christians from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds.
Their basic problem was to live for God in the midst of a society ignorant of the true God.
Therefore in verse 13 introduces three imperatives mentioned in vv. 14-17.
Verse 13 says that we need to set our hope on the grace that will be revealed at Christ’s second coming.
Then, he gives two more imperatives in the following verses; I want to talk about these two commands mentioned in verses 14-19.
THE EXEGETICAL IDEA: In this passage, Peter teaches that God’s children must live holy and reverential lives.
FALLEN CONDITION FOCUS: Already dealt with above.
THE PURPOSE BRIDGE: To motivate youth in EAGC to live holy and reverential lives.
PROPOSITION: God’s command to live holy and reverential lives is based on His calling and the infinite price with which we were bought.
I. GOD COMMANDS US TO LIVE HOLY LIVES.
Refer verses 14-16.
God’s command is loud and clear.
We ought to live holy lives.
We are commanded to live holy lives for 3 reasons:
A. Because we are pulled towards sinful desires (read verse 14).
We must not be conformed to the passions (lusts) of our former ignorance.
Peter picks up this theme in 4:2-3 (read) as well (Refer Eph. 2:1-3).
Sometimes our former desires keep pulling us, but we must resist those evil desires.
We can’t live like ignorant people anymore.
That’s why apostle Paul says this in Acts 17:30-31 (read): 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Sin is dangerous and devastating.
QUOTE: As someone said, “Sin will take you farther than you intended to go; keep you longer than you planned to stay; and cost you more than you wanted to pay.”
As Paul says in Romans 12:2 (read), “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
We cannot live like the world around us.
Instead of desiring evil things, we need to desire God and the things of God.
Read 1 Peter 2:1-3.
You can never overcome evil desires by constantly rebuking them.
You need to replace those evil desires by desiring God.
Read Ps. 63:5-7.
QUOTE: {In C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory, he wrote: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
(Lewis, C.S., The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 26)}
God commands us to live holy lives because He knows that we are constantly pulled towards our former desires.
B. Because we are God’s children (read verse 14).
Since we are born again (refer v. 3), we are adopted as the children of God.
We were chosen by God to be obedient to Jesus Christ (refer v. 2), not just to be saved and baptized and then live a disobedient life.
Peter exhorts his audience and us to live like obedient children.
In those days, minor children were expected to be obedient to their parents (refer Dt. 21:18-21).
It’s not enough to call ourselves as children of God.
We ought to be obedient children of God.
Listen to the heartbreaking words of Yahweh in Malachi 1:6 (read): "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
If you call God as your Father, then you must honor Him by living a holy life.
Once, you enjoyed listening to ungodly jokes with your friends.
You participated in their ungodly activities.
You longed for the things they longed for.
But now you are a child of God.
Don’t be conformed to the former passions.
Don’t act as if you are still unsaved and ignorant.
You have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light (read 2:9).
Remember you are God’s child!
C. Because we are called to reflect God’s nature (read verses 15-16).
Verse 15 says that we are called by God.
We are not called by a mere human or an angel.
Each one of us are called by God of the universe Himself.
Further, He calls us to be holy (refer v. 16; Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:7, 26).
He calls us to be distinct in our lifestyle.
He calls us to be pure in our daily life.
We have to be holy in all our conduct.
In other words, we have to distinct and pure in every aspect of our lives.
Some people think that you need to be holy in the church, but you can live as you want to live at home or at work place.
Holiness must be a lifestyle of Christians, not mere adherence to a set of rules.
Living a lifestyle of holiness is the antidote for hypocrisy.
And notice verse 16 (refer), just as children imitate their parents, God expects us to imitate Him in His holiness.
Since we are children of God, we need to reflect God’s nature.
Refer Mt. 5:48.
People around us must be able to see the difference in us.
Your class mates and friends must be able to say that you are different.
Your neighbors must be able to recognize that you are distinct in your lifestyle.
You have the responsibility to show Christ to others.
The reason God placed you where you are is so that you will reveal God to them through your lifestyle.
So, God commands us to live a holy life.
II. GOD COMMANDS US TO LIVE REVERENTIAL LIVES.
Refer verses 17-19.
Peter exhorts us to conduct ourselves with fear throughout our exile (cf. v. 1).
Exile. The Greek terms means “resident aliens.”
They were not local citizens, but they had greater rights than newcomers.
Until Jesus comes and merges heaven with the earth, we live as exiles in this world.
We are yet to enter into our Promised Land.
Even as we live as exiles in this world, our behavior should be marked with the fear of God.
Some Christians don’t have the fear of God.
They think that God is another human.
I am deeply troubled when I see Christians totally disengaged with what’s happening on a Sunday morning.
But when you look at many of the biblical characters, we read that whenever they had an encounter with God, they fell down before Him with reverential fear and trembling.
A. Because we will be judged impartially by God (v. 17).
The reason we need to fear God is because our Father is not just loving, but He is also holy and just.
God is not just our Father, but also our Judge.
Sometimes we see God as a grandparent.
Grandparents are generally lenient with their grandchildren because they love them a lot.
But that’s not how God is.
He is both loving and just.
And just because we are His children, He will not show partiality while judging us.
There is no partiality with God (refer Dt. 10:17).
Peter is probably talking about judgment in this life and in the life to come (refer 2 Cor. 5:10).
We need to fear God’s discipline and displeasure.
If we don’t fear God, it can lead to painful discipline (refer Heb. 12:5ff)
QUOTE: {The most terrible warning to impenitent men in all the world is the death of Christ.
For if God spared not His only Son, on whom was only laid imputed sin, will He spare sinners whose sins are their own? – Charles Spurgeon.}
B. Because of the infinite price with which we were bought (vv. 18-19).
Knowing. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we were bought with a great price.
When you value your salvation and redemption, you’ll be grateful to God.
When we don’t meditate on the fact that God has been extremely merciful towards us, we tend to take God for granted.
That’s why we participate in the Lord’s Supper regularly.
Every time we partake of the bread and the grape juice, we are reminded of the infinite price that Christ had to pay on the cross for our sins.
We need to fear God, but the kind of fear we are called to have is not a dreadful or paralyzing fear.
We fear God because we love God! (cf. v. 8).
And how did God demonstrate His love for us?
He bought us at an infinite price.
He bought us with the precious blood of His Son.
We were ransomed by God from futile ways.
Just as the Jewish people were ransomed from Egypt, we were ransomed from futile ways.
To the Jewish people, idolatry and sexual immorality was futile.
So, Peter is saying that God ransomed you from futile ways of your ancestors.
At the end of the day, all sin is futile.
It cannot give us lasting happiness.
Peter says that we were not ransomed with perishable things like silver or gold.
Silver or gold is insufficient to purchase our redemption.
Rather, we were ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb who did not have any blemish or spot (refer Lev. 22:21; Num. 19:2).
He was the perfect sacrifice who gave Himself up for us so that we can be redeemed.
That’s why we need to fear the Lord.
As apostle Paul says in 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (read): 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
ILLUSTRATION: {"If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me if I ...daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother's heart; surely I too must be an accomplice in the crime.
Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it?
Sin pierced the heart of the Incarnate God; can you love it?"
- C. H. Spurgeon.}
ILLUSTRATION: {Pastor Steven Cole gives an even more piercing illustration:
For us to continue living in sin after such a price was paid would be comparable to a woman whose husband loved her dearly and gave his own life to save her from a rapist and murderer.
After the funeral she sought out this vicious murderer and pursued a romance with him. Unthinkable!}
That’s what we are doing when we don’t fear God and when we continue in sin even after knowing that Christ died so that we can be ransomed from sin.
CONCLUSION (INCLUDING THE PROPOSITION, REVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS [OPTIONAL], AND ACTION STATEMENTS [INCLUDING AN INVITATION FOR SALVATION]):
PROPOSITION: God’s command to live holy and reverential lives is based on His calling and the infinite price with which we were bought.
This morning, some of you need to repent of your sins and start living a life of holiness and reverence.
Realize that you can’t live a holy life on your own strength.
Admit that you are a sinner and repent of your sins.
Christ is willing to transform you to be His obedient child.
Some of you are saved and baptized, but you have failed to keep your eyes on Jesus.
You have failed to live a life of holiness and reverence.
But today, God wants to revive your life and make you a holy vessel.
Pursue Jesus with all your might and you’ll realize that the desires for sinful things will slowly fade away.
Make a commitment to live a life of holiness and reverence in the power of the Spirit.
