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CHARACTER
OF THE SAVED
Introduction -
I. Text:
1 Peter 1:14-16
1 Pet.
1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which
were yours in your ignorance, but like
the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all
your behavior; because it is written,
"YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
II. Peter's first epistle gives us a picture of the saved people in
the first Century.
A. Though
strangers, they were God’s elect (v. 1-2).
1 Pet 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who
are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying
work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His
blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.
B. They
had an inheritance reserved with God (v. 4).
1 Pet. 1:4 to obtain an
inheritance which is imperishable and
undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in
heaven for you,
C. They
had trials, but could see that the end result would be bliss
(v. 6-7).
1 Pet. 1:6-7 In
this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you
have been distressed by various trials,
that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is
perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise
and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
D. These
people, like us, had not seen Christ; yet showed their love for Him (v.
8; John
1 Pet. 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him,
and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with
joy inexpressible and full of glory,
John
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not burdensome.
E. These
people, like us, could see how God’s plan had unfolded to bring about
salvation. This was unknown to the prophets and angels
(v. 9-12).
1 Pet 1:9-12 obtaining
as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls As to this salvation, the
prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search
and inquiry, seeking to
know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He
predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not
serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to
you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from
heaven-- things into which angels long to look.
III. The text we will study is where Peter concludes his thoughts in
the first part of chapter one.
A. Peter
says that they had to “gird up their minds.”
1 Pet. 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your
hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.
(Their mind was to be
prepared so they could attend to the business of God, unencumbered by the
world!)
B. They
were to be sober and hope “to the end” (with no reservation), looking forward
to Christ's coming.
IV. How
were they to do this? By being...
A. AS
OBEDIENT CHILDREN:
1. They had been born spiritually, thus they were the children of God!
a. ”Born
again” (John 3:1-5).
John 3:1-5 Now
there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to
Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one
can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he
cannot see the
b. They had been born again by..........(1 Peter
1 Pet. 1:22-23 Since
you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls
for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the
heart, for you have been born again not
of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the
living and abiding word of God.
c.
When one is born into God’s family,
he becomes His child, and is an “heir” (Rom.
Rom. 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of
God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him
in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
2.
A Christian is not just a child, but
an OBEDIENT child, as opposed to the cursed child (2 Peter
2 Pet. 2:12-14 But
these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured
and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of
those creatures also be destroyed,
suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to
revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their
deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that
never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having
a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
a Obedient-
"to listen, to attend, to submit" (Vine's).
b. Obedient-
"to hearken to a command" (Thayer’s, p. 638).
c.
By being obedient children, we are
being as Christ was:
1) Hebrews 5:8-9
Heb. 1:8-9 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the
things which He suffered. And having
been made perfect, He became to all those who obey
Him the source of eternal salvation,
3.
Peter is saying that the child of
God is obedient to the faith -- the gospel!
2 Thess. 1:6-10
2 Thess.
1:6-10 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who
afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming
fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and
to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty
of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to
be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you was
believed.
Are we
like this?
B. NOT FASHIONING YOURSELVES ACCORDING TO THE FORMER LUSTS IN YOUR
IGNORANCE:
1. The reason we should be
obedient children is because of our past! We stood as filthy sinners before God
and Christ! We were steeped in (evil) lusts and were ignorant of God and His
ways!
2.
Describe the condition we were in
when we were outside of Christ
(Ephesians 2:12)
remember that you were at that
time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world.
* Not only is this true, but Peter shows that we were ignorant as well.
What things are people ignorant of when they are lost?
3.
We who are Christians have spiritual
blessings, and are made nigh to Christ because we are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3,
Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ,
Eph.
4. Anyone
who wishes to come to Christ has the same opportunity and will receive the same
blessings!
III. BUT AS HE WHICH HATH
CALLED YOU IS HOLY:
A. Here we see the reason that we are (or can
be) righteous. Not because of what we have done, or haven't done, but because
God has called us (1 Peter
1 Pet.
1. 1
Corinthians
2.
How are we called?
B. The fact that God is holy and still wants us
to be in His presence should truly humble us!
1.
Holy- "in a moral sense, pure,
sinless, upright” (Thayer’s, p. 7).
2.
Holy also means “separate.”
3.
Other descriptions of God's
holiness:
a. 1
John 1:5
1 John 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him
and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
b. 1
John 3:5
1 John 3:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as
from the world, and the world listens to them.
c. Jesus
is the same (1 Peter
1 Pet.
4. God
is a being of pure holiness calling to a world of filthy sinners, and offering
them the opportunity to be clean and holy like Him!
IV. SO BE YE
HOLY IN ALL MANNER OF CONVERSATION:
A. This ties it all together! Once I see the
way that I am, I will humble myself before the God who called me, will obey Him
wholeheartedly, and
be holy.
B. Seeing that God is holy, we must be as well.
Not in a few things, but in all ... conduct (NKJV).
1.
Remember, to be holy is to be
separate from certain things
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)!
2 Cor
6:14-18 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have
righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or
what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the
2. “Conversation”
includes our thoughts, words, and deeds!
a. 1 Peter 2:11-12
1 Pet 2:11-12
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly
lusts, which wage war against the soul
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in
which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as
they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
b. 1 Peter 3:1-2
1 Pet. 3:1-2 In the same way, you
wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are
disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of
their wives, as they observe your chaste
and respectful behavior.
c. 1 Peter 3:15-16
1 Pet. 3:15-16 but sanctify Christ as
Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks
you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and
reverence; and keep a good conscience so
that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good
behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
C. Who is willing to do this???
Conclusion:
A. 1 Peter 1:16 sums it all up!
1 Pet.
B. Are
you done an obedient child? This is something serious to consider!