1Peter Lesson #03

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RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

1Peter 1:13-25
Lesson #03
GOD’S PLAN OF SANCTIFICATION

• Memory Verse: 1Pet 1:20

• In our previous lesson we learned of the marvelous salvation that Jesus Christ purchased for us in his first coming to this earth. Because of that great salvation that we possess, we can be encouraged by the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth to reign in power and glory.

• Read 1Pet 1:13-25
  • Now that you have learned about suffering in the first part of this chapter, Peter gives you a command to do in verse 13. What is that command?

 

• “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind…”

 

(13)
• The idea is, “be encouraged”, but the mental picture is picturesque. In the days of the Bible they wore long tunics. In order to run in a tunic, a person had to tie up the long skirt around the waist so as to free the legs for rapid movement.
• Peter uses this idea to tell us that in order to run the Christian race, we need to get rid of the things that restrict our moving ahead with the Lord.
  • Peter tells us that these things that restrict us occur in our minds.
  • In other words, our minds get so heavy with the things of the world, the cares of this life, the personal struggles and spiritual battles, the physical and mental suffering, that all of these things distract and discourage us from running the Christian race with success.

 

• “…be sober…”

 

(13)
• The word, sober, means to be serious about something.
  • The believer should stop playing religious games and take his faith in Christ seriously so that he seriously studies the Word of God and serves God.
• Notice that an eternal perspective is necessary to keep moving forward with the Lord.

 

• “…hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

(13)
• The eternal hope is the blessed appearing of Jesus Christ at the rapture of the church. (Tit 2:13)
• When Jesus Christ returns to earth to remove His church in the rapture, He will bring an abundance of grace. Why?
  • It is by grace that we are saved and He chooses to come for us to take us to heaven.
  • It is by grace that we will stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account of our Christian lives. By His grace He will reward us for our times of obedience and the good works that we did.
• The Judgment Seat of Christ:
  • Read 2Cor 5:9-11
  • Read 1Cor 3:9-15
• The call to holiness (15-16)
  • With this blessed hope looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must seriously run the Christian race. What race?
    • The race of seeing our lives transformed by the Spirit of God so that we mature in the faith.
    • The process of maturing in the faith is the process of becoming holy.
    • This process of becoming holy is called “sanctification”.
      • This is a gradual process in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
      • The process of sanctification occurs inside of the believer in conjunction with the active power of the Word of God.
  • Then Peter commands believers to be holy. What is the relationship between holiness and suffering?
    • It is the Word of God that washes us with the water of His Word.
      • We see God’s standards in the Bible. We are to try to match them.
        • Of course living in human flesh, we cannot be perfect as God is perfect, but we can keep trying and in the process we become mature believers.
      • In the Bible, we discover how God expects believers to act in this world and in His kingdom.
      • The Holy Spirit takes the truths of the Bible and applies them to our own personal lives. He encourages and helps us to live so that our lives conform to the Word of God.
      • What health is to the physical life, holiness is the equivalent to the spiritual life.
    • It is very important for the believer to discern the relationship between holiness and suffering:
      • The believer that is not living a holy life is suffering certain consequences from his own personal sin. That type of suffering is his own fault and he brings it upon himself.
      • The believer that is living a holy life is suffering certain persecutions because he identifies himself with Christ. That type of suffering is part of his identity with Christ. As the world persecuted Christ, it will also persecute us.
• The concept of impartial judgment (17)
  • At the Judgment Seat of Christ every believer will be judged in perfect justice without partiality.
    • We like to think that we desire perfect justice in this world. However, as humans in our minds we compare our lives with other humans and we come out ahead. That is not perfect justice!
      • God’s perfect justice is a life measured against His standard without extending to us any partiality.
    • The concept of standing before God giving an account of our life is an awesome concept and should produce in us a healthy fear of God. (17) Why?
      • Because Christ has a right to order our lives, we are accountable to Him for the decisions that we make, the lifestyle that we choose, and our level of obedience to His will.
      • We are bought with a price. We belong to Him. (18)
        • Read Gal 2:20
          • Christ is living His life through us. This is the right He purchased with His blood.
  • We must answer to how obedient we are in permitting Him to live His life through us.
• What does this passage teach us about Jesus Christ?
  • Christ is coming again (13)
    • This is our blessed hope that encourages us through suffering.
  • Christ called us to be holy (15)
    • This calling separates us from the non-believer for we are set apart for the Holy Spirit to work in us to make us more like Christ.
  • We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (19)
    • We are not redeemed by money or traditions but by something eternally more valuable, the blood of Christ.
  • Christ is holy. (19)
    • Christ lived a life without sin and is the model for us.
  • Christ was chosen and His plan of redemption was set in motion at creation. (20)
    • The eternal Father, the eternal Son, and the eternal Holy Spirit planned the crucifixion even before creation, even before Adam and Eve sinned and made redemption necessary for us.
  • Through Christ we believe in God (21)
    • We come to God through Jesus Christ. This is the only way to God.
  • God raised Jesus from the dead. (21)
    • Our salvation and redemption is based on the shed blood and resurrection of Christ.
  • His Word endures forever. (25)
    • It is through God’s Holy Word that we learn of all of these blessings provided for the believer in Jesus Christ.
• Application:
  • The concept of living a holy life is not in style today. In reality, the Christian lifestyle is hardly discernible as something different from the lifestyle of many non-believers.
  • However, God’s standards and call have not changed. In the same way God’s warning has not changed for we will all give an answer for our lives at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

HOMEWORK
1Peter 2
This is a self study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of 1Pet 1:13-25
  • In which aspects of your life do you need to concentrate on “holiness”?

 

• What is your plan to conform your life to God’s calling to be holy?

 

• Pray and ask the Lord to help you keep your commitment to live a holy life.

 

• Preparation for 1Pet 2
• Read 1Pet 2:1-25
  • Identify the significance of the following phrases:
    • “…a living stone, disallowed indeed of men…” (4) =

 

• “…a chief corner stone, elect, precious…” (6) =
  • “…the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

…” (7) =

• “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence…” (8)=

 

• “…lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…” (5) =

 

• Memory Verse: 1Pet 2:11