Pilgrim Perspectives (or, “Saving Pilgrim _________”)
I Peter
1:13-16
Introduction: One of the
themes of the current election cycle has been the question of immigration,
foreigners, and exiles. Without entering into the political issue, it’s not too
surprising that the theme is prevalent at several levels in the Bible. After all, our first parents, Adam and Eve,
were exiled from the Garden they were created for and sent out into this sin
cursed world. Abraham was called to leave his native land and headed to a land
that he did not know. There he became a
“resident alien” and had to purchase a burial place for his wife. The sons of Jacob were refugees in Egypt
during a time of famine, and eventually their descendants were enslaved. They
were foreigners, mistrusted and maligned.
The Nation was delivered from bondage and entered into the promised
land, a place they were given by God, but only over time did they gain security
from the pagan inhabitants. Initially, they were strangers in their own
land. Due to their unfaithfulness God
allowed the ten northern tribes to be defeated and deported by the Assyrians in
722 B.C., and the southern Kingdom likewise fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
For a time they lived as exiles, until, under Ezra, and Zerrubabel, and
Nehemiah, a remnant returned to the land and the city was restored as the walls
and the Temple were rebuilt. It’s not only an Old Testament concept.
In the New Testament, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to avoid the
treachery of Herod, and later the believers were scattered in Acts after the
death of Stephen. Peter is using the language of “pilgrims and exiles” to
address his audience, who were perhaps among those that had been “dispersed”
through persecution, but who also knew that their citizenship, ultimately, was
in heaven. So they were foreigners, looking forward to something better that
God had planned and prepared for them.
Peter uses a couple of different words in this first chapter of I Peter
to convey different aspects of the idea. We are “foreigners” or “strangers” who
live in a land that is not our own. In that sense we are like the Jews of the
exile, away from the land of promise, but with an eye that looks homeward. The
word “pilgrim” is also used to describe the Jews of the dispersion who would
travel back to Jerusalem for worship in the Temple at the time of the “Pilgrim
Feasts.” As pilgrims in a fallen world we are not perfect, but we are
different, we are not sinless, but we do sin less...
The Maine Idea: As exiles in a
fallen world we have hope in the future and the heart to live a
separated life in the present.
In the interest of alliteration we’ll look at that
Maine idea from three perspectives,
First, I. Our conscience (13): By that I mean
the things that guide our thinking, we’ll see pilgrims look to the future with
hope.
Secondly, II. Our conduct (14): As pilgrims we
live by a new standard because we answer to a higher authority.
And finally, the third “C,” III. Our consecration
(15,16), we know we are made for eternity, that this life is not all there is,
so we are “in” the world, but we are not “of” the world.
I. Our conscience: Pilgrims look
to the future with hope (13).
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and
being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
“Therefore...” Remember when
we see a “therefore” we need to ask what it is “there for”! Peter is drawing an application based on the
first part of chapter one. He has set forth the reality of “Our Great
Salvation,” that fact that God knew us and chose us and loved us from before
the foundation of the world, and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our
sins. In the light of God’s love, in
view of His saving grace, this is what you need to do. This is the biblical model that we see
repeated throughout the New Testament, the imperatives, the commands that are
given, the calls to action, are always based on the indicatives, the statements
of who we are and what we have in Christ.
A couple of examples...
Romans 12:1 “I
appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship.”
Ephesians 4:1 “I
therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling to which you have been called...”
Colossians 3:1 “If then
you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ
is, seated at the right hand of God...”
In
each case the apostle has been talking about our standing, our position, our
salvation in Christ, and then he draws the application, “In the light of this
salvation, this is how you should respond!” The idea is similar to what Paul told the
Philippians when he said, “...Work out
your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is at work in you both to will
and to work for His good pleasure...” (2:12b-13).
If you saw the film “Saving Private
Ryan,” there are a couple of scenes that you probably won’t forget. Three of
his brothers had been killed in the war, and a team of men were sent in to find
private Ryan and to bring him home to his mother. Almost all of Captain Miller’s men were
killed over the course of the movie as they found, and eventually rescued
Private Ryan. At one point, one of the rescuers said, “He better be worth
it!” Finally, there was a scene on a
bridge, Captain Miller was slumped over, dying, he said to Ryan, “Earn this.”
At the end of the movie, Ryan is now old, and is standing by Captain Miller’s
grave. He says, “Every day of my life I remember what you told me on that
bridge. I’ve done my best to live a good life...” Every day we should remember the One who
saved us, the sacrifice that was made. He said, “It is finished!” We could
never earn it. But as we remember
what he did, the price that was paid, we can live as one forgiven, one who
has been freed from sin. I can choose to “walk worthy of the calling with which
I have been called.”
“Gird your loins...” i.e., Prepare
your minds for action... The picture here is paraphrased for us in modern
translation since with literal rendering of the old King James version might
not make immediate sense: “Gird up the
loins of your mind...” In Peter’s context that would have been immediately clear
to his readers. Men wore long, flowing robes, and whether it was getting down
to work or getting ready for a battle, they knew that long robe needed to
wrapped around and tucked into the belt or sash so it didn’t inhibit movement
or get in the way. So the ESV get at the meaning: “...therefore, preparing
your minds for action...” John MacArthur said, Peter...
...urges believers to pull in all the loose ends of
their lives, meaning to discipline their thoughts (cf. Rom 12:2), live
according to biblical priorities (cf. Matt 6:33), disentangle themselves from
the world’s sinful hindrances (cf. 2 Timothy 2:3-5; Heb 12:1), and conduct life
righteously and godly in view of the future grace that accompanies Christ’s
return...
Being sober minded... Part of
right thinking is to not be led astray or deceived by the enticements of the
world, the flesh, and the devil. Remember Paul contrasted being “drunk with
wine” with being “filled with the Spirit.” The Spirit in us convicts and guides
our thinking. Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit,
and you will be no means fulfill the lusts of the flesh!”
“...Set your hope fully on the grace
that will be brought to you...” “Hope” is future looking, a confidence that God will
bring his plan to pass. As we have seen through the opening of the letter God’s
sovereign hand in planning, providing, and culminating our salvation is a cause
for rejoicing. It is all by grace, God’s unmerited favor, which will be
expressed again at “...the revelation of
Jesus Christ...” As exiles in a fallen world we have hope in
the future and the heart to live a separated life in the present.
II. Our conduct:
Pilgrims live by a new standard (14).
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the
passions of your former ignorance,
As obedient children... We are the King’s Kids... Literally the phrase here is “As children of
obedience...” We asked some of our
church kids, “What does it mean to be a child of obedience”? Here are a few of the answers!
Two
of Terri’s said, "To obey your parents."
Marion
Pray’s idea of being obedient (I think with some translation from mom!) it “To
not dump milk all over the place, and to not hit the dog!”
JJ:
“to be good, to behave, to listen to mom and dad.”
Katy:
“Listen to mom and dad, even obey them!”
Maggie’s
boys:
Lucas says, "To listen the first time someone says something"
Owen says, "Listening to directions!"
The
Fowlie boys, (I love the progression in the answers here!)
Kameron.... [remember the question!] "You
get a spanking!"
Avery: "You have to obey and do what
your parents say to do... you have to do whatever they say EVERY single
time..."
Andrew: "...means that you don't want to disobey your parents but we
are all sinful, so if you are obedient you would be
perfect like God but since we all have
sin, we try our best to do what our parents ask of us." (You can tell his father is a
theology student!)
The
kids are right, we should obey all the time, we want to obey, but
we still fall short. We are not perfectly obedient children. But we love our
Father, and we want to please Him. So we “listen.” And hopefully, we are
learning and growing.
Do not be conformed... This verb appears only twice in the New Testament. In
both cases it is a negative admonition: Do
not be conformed... In Romans
12:2 Paul urges his readers not to be “conformed to the world.” J.B. Philips translated, “Don’t let the world
force you into its mold!” Here the
admonition in the New Living Translation says,
“Don't slip back into your old
ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then.”
That is important to remember, there is
tremendous pressure to fit it, to be like everyone else. The point is, we are children of the king,
and if we remember that, maybe we’ll act like it more consistently. As
exiles in a fallen world we have hope in the future and the heart to live a
separated life in the present.
III. Our consecration:
Pilgrims are in the world but not
of the world (15,16).
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy
in all your conduct, 16 since
it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
The
admonition here is more than most of us would dare think we are capable of: As He
is holy, YOU be holy?! What do you do with that? I decided to go again to the experts and get
the thoughts of a few church kids. Our
impromptu survey question was, “What does
it mean to be holy?” Here are a few of the answers...
JJ said, “To pray, ask Jesus for forgiveness.” Katy said, “Listen to Jesus and listen to
what He says!”
Kameron says, “I am not holy. Daddy is not holy. Mommy is not holy.
Only God is holy. NOT Holy Cow. And that is all I know.”
Avery: “Only God is holy. People are not holy. Jesus can do things that
people can’t do. He can do miracles!”
Andrew: “To be perfect, to be almighty.”
Some pretty good answers! The word “holy” means “set apart.” We know
that for those who are in Christ, there are two aspects to this concept: positional holiness, and practical holiness. Positionally, if we are believers, we are
holy. If you have any doubt about that,
think back to Paul’s opening to his letter to the Corinthians. I that letter he
deals with multiple issues in the Corinthian church: sexual immorality,
divisions in the church, lawsuits between believers, offenses between brothers,
etc. But do you remember how he addresses them in the opening of the
letter?
“To
the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, called to be saints...” (I Corinthians 1:2).
The word translated “saint” is the word hagios, “holy one,” the same word that
is used as an adjective in I Peter 1:15,16.
The word “sanctified,” hagiazo,
is related, the idea being “to be set
apart.” My point is that the Corinthians were “set apart” positionally, but
they, and we, don’t measure up when it comes to “practical holiness.” They Corinthians were living just like the
world. Their “holiness” was not something that was evident in their lives. We
all fall short too, but hopefully, we are becoming more and more “set apart” in
our speech, in our thoughts, and in our conduct. More like Jesus today than
when we first believed.
We have
biblical examples of humans getting a glimpse of the holiness of God and being
overwhelmed by their own personal sinfulness. Isaiah’s vision is one that comes
to mind (Isa 6). A vision of the Seraphim circling the throne of God, covering
their facts and their feet, crying out “Holy, holy. Holy is the Lord God
almighty!” Isaiah’s response, “Woe unto me, I am undone! For I am a man of
unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips...” He saw his own sinfulness in the light of
God’s holiness. Peter’s encounter came
at several points no doubt, not the least of which was in his fishing
boat. We read in Luke 5:4-9,
4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to
Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a
catch." 5 And Simon
answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word
I will let down the nets." 6
And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their
nets were breaking. 7 They
signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they
came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he
fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man,
O Lord." 9 For he and
all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had
taken...
He knew he was in the presence of holiness! The
holiness of God is an awesome subject. He
is holy-perfect-sinless. We are His! In Christ we are holy. Practically, our desire, our aim, is to be holy, because it pleases and honors
our father.
What
is God saying to me in this passage? As pilgrims in a fallen world we are not perfect, but we are
different, we are not sinless, but we do sin less... We have hope in the future and the heart to live a separated life in
the present.
What would God have me to do in response to
this passage? In a sermon by Ray Pritchard there is a quote
from C.S. Lewis that I haven’t yet been able to track down (Ray didn’t give a
reference). Lewis said,
“How little people know who think that
holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing... it is irresistible. If even ten percent of the world’s population
had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before a year’s end?”
I
think he might overstate that, probably intentionally, but the point is that it
will make a difference to the people around us if they see something real in
our faith. They will take notice if our faith impacts us where we live. He is
saying that if people see that there is something real in our Christianity,
something that is visible, something supernatural that has changed us, and is
changing us, from the inside out, they would take notice. Let me say, there is a flip side to that. If we speak negatively about another believer,
or about the church, we are playing into the enemy’s hands. We are giving
people outside and excuse not to
believe. Take that seriously. God forbid
that we should cause anyone to stumble! We are holy because, if we have
believed, we are in Christ. We are “set apart” just as surely as the
Corinthians were. He bore our sins, his righteousness was reckoned to our
account. The admonition to consider:
will we choose to allow the light of God’s grace to shine through in our
living? Do you know that God takes pleasure in his children? We read, for example, in Psalm
149:4,
“For the LORD takes pleasure in
his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.”
It is
that salvation that we celebrate, and that motivates us to live differently.
Let’s consider the price that was paid for us to call Him Father. Every day, remember what He said that day on
the cross... It is finished. We could never earn it. But we choose to love and
to honor the One who so loved us. AMEN.
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