When the International Olympic Committee selected Sochi,
Russia, as the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics in 2007, the small seaside resort town had no major venues, minimal housing,
and few transportation options. Seven years and $51 billion later, the city has
built dozens of large facilities, created thousands of housing units, added new
rail systems, and toughened security.[1]
It made me realize another kind of preparations that have been going on
for over 2000 years for the grandest Opening Ceremony ever; the “return or the
second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It is the LORD
himself who has been at work in preparing the world for his second coming. By
the power of the Holy Spirit he is saving the world and sanctifying those who have
been saved. He is getting His bride the Church ready so that when he returns
she may be found without a spot or a wrinkle. Part of that preparation is calling
His body to stay away from the corruption of this world and stay connected with
Him. Let’s read I Peter 1:13-16
Background:
The influence of the Apostle Peter upon
the early Church was much stronger than the any of the other original twelve
Apostles. I Peter was probably written in the AD 60’ persecution of the
severest kind for its recipients was only a few decades away.
Peter used
Jesus’ own suffering as the cornerstone of his exhortation. He exhorted
Christians to suffer as Christians not as law breakers. Though preparing them
for the upcoming suffering was the main thrust of this epistle he was
persuading them to a holy conduct. In the midst of their present suffering
Peter reminded the believers that they were being kept for God.
He wanted them
not to focus on their immediate situation but to look forward to a life that
they are going to share with Christ when He is finally revealed. Since Christ
is coming back to a spotless or a holy bride, Peter was getting them ready to
live holy. What would a holy conduct look like? What is the basis for and how
could we cultivate holy living?
I.
HOLY LIVING
& THE LORD’S RETURN ( Vs. 13)
Vs 13,
“Therefore, prepare (gird) your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your
hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed (at the
revelation of Jesus Christ). For the
last few weeks we have been studying the book of Revelation. Those of us who
are excited about the second coming of Christ ought to take note of what the
Holy Spirit is saying to us through the Apostle Peter. It is OK to get excited
about the signs of the end time, the rapture, the tribulation, the thousand
year rule of Christ, our heavenly dwelling, the destruction of Satan and his
followers, and so on, there is nothing wrong with that kind of thinking. But let’s
not forget one thing, from now and until the time when we will see Christ face
to face, as some believe it may happen in their life time; we have a life to
live, and a job to finish. This verse focuses on our present behavior as we
await the return of our LORD.
Before we go
further let’s understand the essence of our Lord’s second coming. In Thess 2:19
we read, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in
the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes” The greek word parousia which is translated in NASB as
“coming” in NIV “comes” basically means “presence or arrival” In Hellenistic
Greek it was used to designate the visit of a “ruler.” From the readings of
several scriptures we understand what will happen at the return of Jesus
Christ. Here is a glimpse of it:
Christ will
visit the earth again in his personal presence at the end of the age in his
power and glory. The Antichrist and the devil will be destroyed. The righteous
will be redeemed. At that time the dead who are believers will rise first and
those who are believers and are alive will be changed and be caught up in the
air by Jesus Christ.
Where is Christ right
now? He is now reigning as the Lord at God’s right hand and sharing God’s
throne. His reign is now invisible to the world. It will however, one day be
made spectacularly visible. That was what the early Christians awaited, lived
and died for. Since that time the Church the world over has been looking with eager
anticipation to the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the
subsequent establishment of His eternal Kingdom.
In II Peter 3:11-12,
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass
away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the
earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be
destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and
godliness.”
This scripture
highlights the connection between holy living and the second coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. No matter how you go around it you cannot ignore the fact that
our expectation of the Lord’s return must propel us to live a holy and godly
life. That was what the apostle Peter preparing the believers for. He charged
them to get ready for action; live lives of self-control and holiness. Living a
holy life simply means living our lives differently.
II.
LIVING
DIFFERENTLY (14-16)
Vs 14-16, “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.”
The Apostle
Peter was quoting here from Leviticus 11:44-45, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy…45 I
am the Lord, who brought you up out
of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy,
because I am holy.” The holiness of God is a major concern in the O.T; but the
passage in Leviticus is of particular interest, because it deals with the
characteristic of God being Holy and the need for his people to imitate his
holiness.
The Greek word translated “holy” in I Peter is
the same word used several times in the N.T to refer Christians as “saints” The
basic idea in the word is the otherness or the apartness of the person to whom
it refers. In the case of Israel, God wanted his people to imitate His holiness
and live as if their lives have been set apart towards God from the rest of the
world around them. Similarly, today as
God’s people we too are called to live different lives, because we have been
set apart and dedicated to God. Let’s see what a life set apart for God looks
like?
When we live with the awareness of belonging to
God, and being set apart for His purposes we live differently than the rest of
the world around us. We don’t do the same things they do and we do the things
they don’t. Our pursuits, aspirations are different.
We will be more concerned with the things that
please God. We will be God and others centered than self-centered. In other
words we don’t look for what is there for me instead we look for ways to be a
blessing to others.
Living differently means we avoid things that
contaminate our body, soul and mind as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Choosing words that communicate grace, love, and acceptance rather than
criticism, harshness and judgment. We want our gentleness to be evident to all.
We make every effort to live in peace with one another. We will love our wives
and respect our husbands. Our children
obey us and we don’t exasperate our children. We will be quick to forgive and
be reconciled with fellow members in the body of Christ.
We will be quick to say sorry and accept our
faults rather than pointing fingers at others. We will take the log out of our
own eyes before we try to remove a speck from others eyes. Living differently means
we will be slow to speak and quick to listen. We become the carriers of God’s
word and the good news of the gospel. We work towards building unity. We pray,
serve and encourage one another. We cover each other’s back.
On the contrary when we gossip, hold on to resentment,
bitterness, un-forgiveness and sow discord among the brethren then we are not
living a holy life. We may appear to be holy; talk holy but by our own actions
we deny the power of holy living. That is why the apostle Peter said, “Be holy
in all you do.” This has to do with all
aspects of our life.
As I was preparing this sermon God has freshly
challenged me and showed me where I needed to change. I believe God wants us to
repent where necessary and start living differently. Let’s come under the
scrutiny and the powerful search of God’s Holy Spirit this morning. Are we
simply keeping up holy appearances or truly living lives that are pleasing to God?
The key to cultivating holiness is to set our hope fully on the grace of God
rather than focusing heavily on ours and other people’s sins. Complete holiness
is the desire and the ultimate goal of every Christian, but only by His grace and
with the help of the Holy Spirit will we attain holiness and live differently;
lives that are holy and acceptable unto God. Amen
