If someone were to ask you what your goal in life is, what would you say? If you ask someone who has just finished high school, you would probably hear, go to college, get a job, get married, and have a family. When asking a person who is approaching 60, it may be to retire and do all the things their work has kept them from achieving. These are all answers we are accustomed to hearing and seem normal for us. However, is this the answer Christ would have us say? I think Peter has a good grasp on what our aspirations should be, and how to get there.
Once we become a Christian, we are on a journey toward Heaven. Peter tells us the ultimate goal is to be holy. WOW, what a goal! Knowing our sinful nature and how often we struggle, to do what is right makes this a lofty goal that seems impossible. Peter begins in verse 13 to show us the path to be like Jesus. To be holy means to be separate, or set apart. We are set apart from the world and unto God. The process we go through to be holy is sanctification. When we become a Christian, we are positionally sanctified or set apart to God. Next, we are to be progressively sanctified. We are to be growing in holiness as we learn and obey. It is a process we must work at until the day we die. When we die and stand before Jesus, we will be perfectly holy, sanctified, completely apart from any sin. We will be like Him and He is perfectly holy!
I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Peter begins by telling us the process to become like Jesus. He says to prepare our minds, don’t just let our minds wander aimlessly. Be diligent and deliberate in your thinking. It is in the mind that sin begins. When we think of something that isn’t pleasing to God, we can either confess it and repent, or allow it to stay there until it manifests itself in open sin. Determine that you will not allow yourself to be in situations that will foster wrong thinking.
We are to be sober, or serious, and fix our minds on the hope that is brought to us when Jesus comes back for us. I remember reading a true story about a woman whose husband was deployed overseas. He was to be gone for at least a year. He was near the battle and in danger of the enemy. She begins to make ready for his return as soon as he left. She thought of all the things she could do to make him proud of her, of all the ways she could change to be the woman she had always dreamed of becoming. She immediately begins to eat healthy, exercise, and take care of herself in a way that would make her more appealing to her husband. She begins to organize the house and make everything as perfect as possible. The closer it came to the return of her husband, the harder she worked. When he returned he was pleasantly surprised but very happy. He felt so loved because she had spent the entire time he was away planning and anticipating his return. This is how we should react to the return of Christ. Looking forward with great hope and anticipating His imminent return.
I Peter 1:13 “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;”
The goal is to be as much like Him as possible while living here. We are to be obedient children, not like the kids of parents who live like a sinful world. We are to put off the sinful ways we had before Christ when we were so ignorant of Him.
I Peter 1:14 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”
In all our conduct we are to seek to be like Him. We are to be different from the world. The world is as far on the other spectrum from Christ as it possibly could be. Why? Because the ruler of this world is Satan. Peter is telling us that every area of our life is to be surrendered to God. There is no sacred and secular life. It’s all sacred if it’s God’s. We are to seek to change all our conduct until it becomes our lifestyle.
I Peter 1:15 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;”
How can we fulfill this command to be holy? We focus on Christ’s coming, we seek obedience in every area of our lives, and we seek to know more about him, for He Is Holy!
I Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
excellent