A Holy Calling (1 Peter 1:13-16)

Bible Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-16

In these verses, Peter looks at how our identity in Christ leads us to live differently from those around us. Right at the start of the letter he introduced the term ‘exiles’ to  describe believers living in the world, and now he elaborates on that theme by showing what the exile life looks like in terms of how we act.

Alert and Fully Sober (v13): When Peter speaks of being ‘sober’, he focus isn’t primarily on not being under the influence of alcohol (although that is a part of it). His point is that we should be paying attention. There are many temptations or pressures in the world that are easy to drift into without realising what has happened, and before we know it we have either picked up ways of thinking and acting that belong more to the world than to Jesus, or we have watered down our faith to make it more palatable. For Peter, the best way to make sure we are doing this is to focus in the right place. If our minds are mainly filled by our streaming services or social media feeds then it will be no surprise when we sleepwalk into the world’s ways, but when we set our hopes firmly on Jesus and his grace then it orients us to respond rightly to the culture around us.

Obedient Children (v14): The call to obedience is framed in tender familial terms. We are to obey God, but it is the obedience of beloved children rather than the obedience of slaves. The verse helps us to understand where sin comes from. It speaks of the desires that we have, and these desires are the same as we experienced when we ‘lived in ignorance’.  Following Jesus does not mean that temptation or the desire to sin will go away, and it would be wrong to think that experiencing such desires is wrong in and of itself. The key thing is what we do with those desires when we experience them. Peter encourages the readers not to conform to them. This is in contrast to the ‘if it feels good do it’, or ‘live out your true self’ philosophies of the world around us. All of our desires, just like everything else, are to be brought under the lordship of Christ, and instead of being conformed to those temptations, we are to live as obedient children.

Holy in All You Do (v15-16): To be holy means to be set apart. When we talk about God’s holiness, the idea is that he is utterly distinct from everything in creation. Similarly, in the Old Testament, certain items were considered to be holy because they had been set apart to be used in the temple. For a person to be holy, it means they have been set apart for God. Peter’s instruction urges the believers to not go along with the same ways of thinking and living as the world around them, but to be distinct from this for God. In this context, a big part of it is moral purity, as they do not adopt the patterns of behaviour of the surrounding culture, but live distinct and godly lives as follower of Jesus. The reason given for this is the holiness of God himself. As followers of a holy God, we should live holy lives in this world.  .

Potential Applications:

• This is a passage that some people might find convicting. Allow space for people to repent of anything they need to, and assure them that there is grace in Jesus to cover all sin.
• They key to holy living is focussing our attention on Jesus. Encourage people to take time each day in the word and prayer and keep their eyes on him.
• Some people might recognise that they have drifted into a complacent faith. There is a call here to wake up and be alert, and to pay much closer attention to the way we live and follow Jesus.