right so right towards the the back of our bibles the letter of first peter chapter 1
verses 13 to 21 so we've been thinking together as a church for the last number of weeks
about what is the gospel what do we believe about the gospel and then what kind of life
should that create in an individual and in a church last week we thought about humility
that as we think about all that jesus has done for us that it should humble us and cause us to
humbly seek to serve others this week the gospel creates holiness so we're going to read first
peter 1 verse 13 to 21 and let's again hear god's word therefore with minds that are alert and fully
sober set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when jesus christ is revealed at his coming
as obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance
but just as he who called you is holy so be holy in all you do for it is written be holy because i
am holy since you call on a father who judges each person's work impartially live out your time as
foreigners here in reverent fear for you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or
gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors
but with the precious blood of christ a lamb without blemish or defect he was chosen before the
creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake through him you believe in god
who raised him from the dead and glorified him and so your faith and hope are in god amen
so as we begin i want us to think about the life of an exile some of you will be very familiar with
the highland clearances a very dark period in scottish history in the mid 19th century when people who had
worked the land for generations were forcibly removed to make way for sheep that were more profitable and so
they were sent off on ships off to the new world to america and places like that and as they went
they sang songs and they wrote poetry and those songs and that poetry spoke of lament and it spoke of loss
the loss of a home that the vast majority of them would never ever see again but one of the interesting
things to know about these highlanders who who were forced to leave is that they kept preserved their
culture and their identity they retained their language they retained their practices they lived as
exiled highlanders and and pushing 200 years later you can still find communities of exiled highlanders
around the world and they will still be engaged in highland games and the light peter is writing to the
christian church here and he says to them in chapter 1 in verse 1 you are god's elect you are exiles
so the church are told you are exiles of heaven heaven is your true home he was writing to a group of
christians who were because of their faith living on the margins of society beginning to feel the squeeze
of opposition and so he writes this letter to encourage them to say keep your culture and your identity
identity the culture of heaven the identity that you have because you've been saved by jesus set your
hearts on him and live holy lives in ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4 when paul writes paul writes a letter
to a different church he reminds them in his introduction that one of the reasons jesus came and died to save
people was to save people was to save people holy and that's what we're going to think about today
this reality that if we are a people who treasure god's saving grace
then we will care deeply to pursue holiness knowing that without holiness it's impossible to see god
and just as peter writes this letter to encourage these exiles of heaven in the backdrop of their
cultural chaos so we find ourselves in the 21st century still surrounded by cultural chaos but being
called to live out our identity as citizens of heaven to live a culture of faith and hope and love
to live in god's grace and to live out of god's truth as we find it in god's word
and so we're going to think about this reality that one of the goals for which jesus came and died
is so that churches and christians would be committed to the gospel of god's grace and committed to pursuing
godliness and holiness and holiness and we're going to think about what that means this idea of being
set apart for god and set apart to live in obedience to him there are three things from our reading in
verses 13 to 21 i want to draw your attention to in thinking about um being holy the first is this to be
holy we need to fix our hope on jesus so look with me again at verse 13 where we're told therefore
with minds that are alert and fully sober set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when jesus
christ is revealed at his coming so the verse begins with a therefore and whenever there's a therefore we
ask what's the there for therefore and it's there to connect us to this great section of thanksgiving
that we didn't read in verses 3 to 12 but if you look with me at verse 3 begins with praise praise
be to the god and father of our lord jesus christ and then it goes on in his great mercy he has given
us new birth into a living hope and that living hope comes through the resurrection of jesus christ from
the dead so because jesus is alive christians have a living hope and the rest of this thanksgiving
it speaks about the promise of eternal rewards the promise of future salvation the reality of life
with christ this is our living hope and peter then says therefore because these things are true because
this hope is is real therefore set your hope fully on grace still to come set your hope on future grace
set your hope on the return of christ make the goal of your life be the desire to see jesus and to be with
jesus and to enjoy jesus forever and he says then because of the resurrection
you can bank on this hope this future hope this isn't wishful thinking this is certain hope based on
the historic event of the resurrection because jesus is alive we have living hope and so the
question then becomes well what does this future hope have to do with how i live today how does this
future hope of of the return of jesus make a difference to my life of obedience and holiness
let's go back to verse 13 where peter in a sense reminds us that holiness is a battle for the mind and for
the will our holiness will involve right thinking so peter says to them you know therefore wait with hope
but he also tells them to wait with minds that are alert and fully sober wait with hope wait with holiness
the idea of alerts is the idea of being ready for action being ready for battle
the idea of being fully sober the idea of thinking clearly living self-controlled lives
recognizing the battle for holiness
is a battle for our minds
thinking about this first i started thinking about those images that we see in the news from time to time
of when maybe a reporter goes
um on a tour with with let's say un peacekeepers you know so they're in hostile territory
um and they're they're maybe in the armored convoy and what do you see there you see
soldiers who've got their bulletproof vests on they've got their helmets on and you see them
constantly scanning the horizon they are fully alert because they know an attack could come from any
corner from anywhere
and so for us in the battle with holiness we need to be alert and fully sober
jesus told a whole range of parables on that theme of be ready be watchful be serving
always in light of the fact that he is the king he is the master
who will one day return
and he wants to find
his servants doing his will
so because we know jesus is coming back
we are to choose the way of obedience
so as christians we put on the full armor of god
as christians we are to stay alert to temptation and spiritual attack some of that comes from within
that battle that rages because of our sinful nature
but also those temptations that come from outside of us
temptations that we see in the world temptation that comes from the devil
we wait with hope and we wait with holiness
our future hope our future home in heaven what's that going to be like
it's going to be a holy place heaven is a holy place there is no sin in heaven
there is no anger in heaven there is no jealousy in heaven there is no pride in heaven
so if our hope is a holy place then we're being asked to live holy lives in preparation for that
that's what jesus has secured for us
that's what we're being prepared for
and so we're called to live holy lives
and bearing in mind that this is a battle for our mind and for our will
one of the things that we need to learn as christians
is constantly to be talking to ourselves
in the sense of preaching the gospel to ourselves
when we find ourselves in a moment of temptation
in a moment of trial we need to talk to ourselves
to remind ourselves jesus is better and his reward is greater than what this temptation is offering me
when we are going through trials we need to remember following jesus and his reward is absolutely worth it
we need to let the word of christ dwell in us richly so that when we are faced with a decision
we're asking the question how am i going to obey jesus and his word in this moment
so we need to talk to ourselves if we are to pursue holiness
there's one image and if our projectors were working we would we would have sung about christ our sure and steady anchor
but but think about this if our hope anchors on something
you know we all want our life to to be governed by something we're all living for something
so if our hope is anchored and that anchor connects us to what we love most
if it ties us to that sets the pattern for our life
one question that we always need to be asking and reflecting
where is my hope today
where is my hope anchored today what's the focus for my life
and peter is saying to us to be holy
is to have our hope fully anchored in jesus and his grace
there'd be that gravitational pull towards him
that he would be directing the course of our lives towards love and holiness
motivated by the reality of future hope and future reward
so to be holy we are to fix our hope on jesus
he's thinking about our minds
to be holy secondly we are to fix our identity
on jesus this is verses 14 to 17
so again just to think big picture for a moment
to ask the question why did if you're a christian why did god save you
if you're not a christian why would god save you what would be his purpose in saving you
why does god in the gospel take an enemy of god
somebody deserving of god's wrath
why does god send his son jesus to die for us
to take god's wrath for us
to reconcile us to himself
to justify us to adopt us into his family
why does he do it
again to go back to the book of ephesians
in part to make us holy
we have a new life
and we have a new identity
first peter chapter 2 verse 9 if you turn over a page
you will find this wonderful description
used of the old testament believer
used of the new testament believer
you are a chosen people
a royal priesthood
a holy nation
god's special possession
that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light
totally transformed identity
to reflect to display the glory of god
to draw others to him
so think about this for a first century christian
so all of the folks that peter is writing to
so if he's writing to
people who've recently become followers of jesus
from a jewish background
they are absolutely outsiders in their community
they're not believing that the law saves them
they're not doing the same rituals
they're not using the food laws in the same way perhaps
but if he's writing to people who've been saved
and they're from a roman background
they're also outsiders in roman culture
because they're not saying caesar's lord
they're saying jesus is lord
they're not worshipping a whole bunch of different idols
they're worshipping the one true and living god
through jesus his son
and so they are beginning to feel the weight
of being outsiders
to be pushed to the margins
this is part of the cost of discipleship
and some of us know this
perhaps if we're the only christian in our family
perhaps we're christians from a part of the world
where it's very difficult
to be a follower of jesus
and so we feel the weight of this
so the question then is this
well why
why be holy
if it's going to mean things like
mockery
if it's going to mean that
the faith that we have is going to be misunderstood
if perhaps it's going to be missing out on certain things
missing out on certain friendships
missing out on certain promotions perhaps
or
to go even more extreme
and to think about
people all around the world
why be holy if it means
being sent to prison
why be holy if it means
your whole family and community
want nothing to do with you
and in fact would like to kill you
why be holy
and so peter wants to encourage
a group of believers
who are feeling the weight of that
and what he wants to encourage them with
is to remember their true identity
saying to them
be who you truly are in christ
so let's see how he says that
what is our identity
as christians
peter says in verse 14
you are obedient children
as obedient children
do not conform to the evil desires
you had when you lived in ignorance
but just as he has called you as holy
so be holy
in all you do
that's who we're called to be
obedient children
living holy lives
because the father who called us is holy
so we read earlier in leviticus
and leviticus
in 19 verse 2
be holy because i am holy
is something of a motto verse
in the book of leviticus
so the old testament israelites
they were chosen by god's grace
and they were set apart
among the nations
to be his people
to live lives of worship
and obedience
and because they were god's people
and because god is holy
they were told to be holy
and the same is absolutely true
of the church in every age and generation
it's made plain in first peter 2 verse 9
and so because that's true
that peter says in verse 14
we are no longer
to conform to our evil desires
why
because that's no longer who we truly are
so so we don't
get comfortable with sin anymore
and we don't let the world
squeeze us into its mold
rather we show sin
no mercy
and we determine to live in faith
and obedience
so peter says to them
you know just as
as children physically
share the characteristics
of their parents
for better or for worse
just as children learn by copying
and just as we expect children
to take on the family values
that they've been brought up in
so it is in god's family
our god is a holy father
his children must be holy
that is an essential family value
within god's church
sometimes we ask the question
and it's an important question
what's the will of god for my life
well again
paul cuts through a lot of that confusion
in first thessalonians 4 verse 3
when he says
it is god's will
that you be sanctified
that you be set apart
and that you live holy lives
it's god's desire
for his children
verse 17
since you call on a father
who judges each person's work impartially
live out your time as foreigners here
in reverent fear
so just as jesus our elder brother
lived his life determined at every point
to honour his father
and to obey his commands
and to fear god
rather than live with the fear of man
and to follow the law of love at every turn
so he sets a pattern for us
as his brothers and sisters in the church
so we understand that when my identity
it is shaped by jesus
that has implications for how i live and act and speak
i want to please my father in heaven
i want to follow in the footsteps of jesus
remembering jesus is our saviour
but not just our saviour
he is also our role model
he shows us what holiness looks like
and we're reminded in verses 17
in verse 17
that when i fear and honour
my father in heaven
it's his judgment of me that counts
it's his opinion of me that counts
he is the one whose approval i want to live for
and by extension that means living as a foreigner in the world
because this world is not our true home
so to be holy we need to fix our identity
on who we truly are
and so we need to again
learn to talk to ourselves
who am i
you know there are so many voices in our culture
that want to tell us who we are
as christians we need to hear
god speak in his word
saying to us
if you are in christ
you're a new creation
if you are in christ
you're a child of god
if you are in christ
you are saved
to be holy
and don't we see how this matters then
for our everyday life
so leviticus 19
see how comprehensive
god's view of holiness is
our words
our actions
our relationships
our workplace
our sense of justice
and mercy
and care for the poor
all wrapped up in
the reality that i'm an obedient child of god
and so i want to live
his way
so we pursue holiness
peter says
so that we can honor
our holy father
but we also
choose holiness
for the sake of our mission
we could go back to first peter 2
verse 9
for a moment
where he tells
tells him
this is who you are
this is how you are to live
so that you may declare
god's praises
for the sake of the world
who is watching
we need to show people
truly
what is god like
is jesus good
and true
we also remember
the words of the great commission
matthew 28
jesus said
go and make disciples
of all nations
and after talking about
baptizing people
he said
teaching them to observe
and to obey
all that i have commanded
so obedience
and holiness
is built into
our life as disciples
god wants the world
to know
jesus
and to believe
in jesus
and to obey
jesus
and so we have to
encourage one another
to obey
jesus
and we have to show
others
in our obedience
in our love
the goodness
and the beauty
of our god
we are
in a very real way
i think
the lens
through which the gospel
is going to be read
people are going to look
at jesus
through the lens
of our character
our lives
and that's something
we need to think about
when it comes to
our holiness
as a church
and as christians
finally
to be holy
having fixed our hope
on jesus
and fixed our identity
on jesus
to be holy
we need to fix our heart
on jesus
so here's a question
whenever we're thinking
about holiness
it's really important
to think
how am i going to avoid
that stereotype
of holiness
that really puts people off
that comes across
as really critical
and judgmental
where it's all about
a long list of do's
and don'ts
or where it just seems
like dull duty
how can we
actually love
the idea of holiness
how can we see
that it's good news
for us
how can we make it
seem beautiful
to others
it's a really
important question
and the answer
is only
by the power
of the gospel
it's only because
jesus has come
to bring this
wonderful redemption
and it's only
as we fix
our hearts
on what jesus
has done for us
and continues
to do for us
that will be
empowered
and motivated
towards holiness
and obedience
so let's look
at verse 18
first of all
to notice something
that we are redeemed
from
what does jesus
redeem us from
for you know
it was not
with perishable
things such as
silver or gold
that you were
redeemed
from the empty
way of life
handed down to you
from your ancestors
you've been
redeemed
from an empty
way of life
so that's either
so thinking about
this background
here
that's either
a group of christians
who've been saved
out of a roman
background
and they've been
saved from the
false worship
of idols
and empty
sacrifices
or
there's folks
from a jewish
background
and they've been
saved from
a religion
based entirely
on law
do this
do that
and if you do
well enough
maybe god
will be pleased
and what peter
says is he cuts
through
either of those
and says that
they're both
empty
any attempt
to be holy
and good enough
by ourselves
for a holy god
will never
be
enough
and so he's
rescuing us here
from a temptation
so we hear
we need
we need to be
more holy
he's saving us
simply from saying
okay what i need
to do is i need
to roll my sleeves
up i need more
willpower
i need more
resolution
that the reality
is what we need
to be holy
is we need
spiritual resurrection
nothing short
of that will empower
or lead
to holiness
so we're redeemed
from an empty
way of life
and we are
redeemed
by something
first of all
i want us to
notice that we're
redeemed
by or in line
with the eternal
plan of god
look at verse 20
having spoken
about jesus
as the lamb
without blemish
or defect
we're told he
was chosen
before the
creation of
the world
but was revealed
in these last
times for your
sake
so just to
remind us
that in the
eternal plan
the eternal
will of god
jesus
the sinless
son of god
was chosen
to be a
savior
for unholy
unfaithful
unwilling
sinners
like us
and then
in the fullness
of god's time
he was revealed
in the last
times
he was revealed
in verse 21
as the savior
to believe in
that because
he has died
and he has been
raised again
and god has glorified
him
and we believe
in him
and our faith
and our hope
are in god
so we're redeemed
by or according
to god's eternal
plan of salvation
that's a wonderful
privilege
and we've been
redeemed
verse 19
with the precious
blood
of christ
in the evenings
we've been thinking
about the book
of exodus
and we get to the
passover
we'll be there
in a couple of
weeks
that's a powerful
picture
so so god
announces
that judgment
is going to
come
upon
egypt
but there is
a way
for israel
to be spared
the judgment
and that's
through this
passover lamb
this pure
lamb that is
to be looked
after
and then it is
to be killed
and the blood
is to be sprinkled
so that
on the night
when the judgment
of god
passes
through
egypt
and falls
on egypt
it will pass
over
the houses
of israel
why
not because
they were
sinless
and perfect
but because
the judgment
has fallen
on the
passover
lamb
the lamb
has died
so they
might be
redeemed
the lamb
has been
the sacrifice
who has
taken sin
who has
turned away
the anger
of god
so that
god's people
might go free
that's a
wonderful
picture
of what
jesus does
for us
on the
cross
jesus
takes
the judgment
of god
so we
might be
forgiven
and set
free
and set
free
to become
that kingdom
of priests
to become
that holy
nation
to become
that people
who don't
live for
ourselves
rather we
live for
the glory
of god
the one
who loved
us and
gave his
son
for us
and so it
becomes clear
then that
to be
holy we
must first
be born
again
we need
the saving
work of god
through jesus
in our hearts
and lives
so we need
to come
to jesus
and then to
live these
holy lives we
must fix our
hearts
on jesus
again to
preach the
gospel
into our
hearts
every day
so that we
be pursuing
holiness
and obedience
not as a
sense of
dull duty
not thinking
we need to
work hard
enough to
earn it
but because
we are
children of
grace
and because
of a profound
sense of
gratitude
for what god
has done
in sending
jesus to be
our savior
so as we
draw this
to conclusion
let's ask
ourselves
the question
am i
ready
to live
as an
exile
am i
ready
to choose
the way
of holiness
so i was
thinking about
this week
you know
thinking about
those highlanders
setting sail
in their
boats
you know
having
bidden a
tearful farewell
to those few
who remain
behind
and seeing
the land
pass on
the horizon
they would
all have
been faced
with a
choice
knowing
you're
heading
to the
new
world
you've
got a
choice
you can
move on
you can
forget the
old ways
maybe the
new ways
are better
or
that's what
so many
of them
did
they can
constantly
hear the
call of
home
and they'll
protect
their
culture
and they'll
treasure their
sense of
identity
even as
they live
as exiles
you and i
are called
to our own
choice
today and
every day
first of all
to hear the
call of the
gospel
to hear the
voice of
jesus
calling us
away
calling us
out of
empty ways
calling us
out of
those evil
desires
so that we
would receive
his redemption
would receive
his rescue
from our
slavery from
sin
that we be
changed from
the inside
out
so that we
would live
as a child
of god
and a citizen
of heaven
and then
we're called
then to
live out
the culture
of the
gospel
to take
seriously
our call
to be
obedient
children
not just
in some
of life
but in all
of life
not just
when it's
easy
but when
it's
hard
following
jesus
pattern
of love
walking
in the
footsteps
of jesus
our elder
brother
guided
by god's
word
to
recognize
how
to
obey
so let's
fix
our eyes
on jesus
let him
be
our hope
let him
be the
one our
life is
centered
on
let our
hearts
be fixed
on him
so that
we
would
truly
live
as
exiles
of
heaven
let's
pray
together
once
again
father
god
we thank
you for
this wonderful
privilege that
by faith
in jesus
we can
live
we can live
as obedient
children
that we can
dare to call
you father
lord thank you for
reminding us that your
call to save us also comes with a call to live holy and obedient lives
lord we recognize how often we are inconsistent we recognize how easy we can find it to to ignore those parts of your word that challenge us or make us feel uncomfortable
lord we pray that you would fix our eyes on jesus that he would be our savior he would be our pattern that we be reading your word that the spirit would be guiding us to know what obedience looks like day by day
lord that we would want to honor and fear you as our father that we want to display your glory and your goodness in our lives that we want our church to be a place marked by genuine holiness
not by a legalistic set of rules and regulations or a sense of dull duty but a sense of living joy because we have a living hope that our holiness would be a living one following the way of jesus and his way of love
and we pray in jesus name that you would help us so that we might glorify you
amen