Pilgrim Living: Motivation in the Pursuit of
Holiness
I Peter 1:17-21
Introduction: As we consider the needs of many on our church prayer list, and the difficult news that we constantly hear in the media, may we be reminded that we are only pilgrims, that God is in control, and that we fear God, not men. Dr. Paul Tripp said: “What is chaotic to you, is controlled by your Savior. What is confusing to you, is understood by your Lord.” Truth! God is good, and He is in control. So, we live with hope! Our series in I Peter is called “Pilgrim Living in a Fallen World.” We trust God, and now, for a little while, He has us in the world to carry out His mission. But this really isn’t home, we were created for eternity. Therefore, rejoice in the Lord always! Our last look at I Peter, 1:13-16, was a call to live a life worthy of our calling. We are to be obedient children who have self-control, who are in the world, but not of the world, who are “set apart” by God and for God because He is holy. In the words of Dr. Clowney, today we see that...
…Unless God had made us his, we could not gain his
holiness or want it. But God has claimed us as his own, claimed us at a cost
that sears our minds with the flame of his love. Peter appeals to the two
most profound emotions our hearts can know.
One is love; love that sees the price God paid to redeem us. The
other is fear, the fear of despising God’s love. What judgment
would we merit if we were to trample upon the blood of Christ, and treat God’s
precious ransom with contempt, the contempt that mere gold and silver would
deserve in comparison? (E.P. Clowney,
I Peter).
So, love is
at the heart of it, but not without fear of the Lord. As Peter continues
the opening of this letter, he points to the relationship that should motivate
our living: we are God’s children, we are in a relationship with the Father, He
is just, and He loves us more than we can imagine. Love is at the heart of
the Christian life. This week we are reminded of the love that planned and
provided our salvation. Next week we’ll see that God’s love should motivate
us to love one another (1:22-2:3)!
The BIG
Idea: We live motivated to pursue
holiness, with a deep reverence for our Father, knowing the cost of our
salvation. We’ll look at that from three perspectives,
1) Respond to the Father’s Justice: As pilgrims in a fallen world we live with a deep
reverence for our just and holy Father.
2)
We are called to Remember the price that was paid:
As pilgrims in a fallen world we are motivated by the knowledge that our
redemption, our salvation, came at a great cost: the blood of Christ (18,19).
And finally...
3)
Rejoice in the Father’s Plan: As pilgrims in a fallen world we rejoice in God’s
salvation plan devised in eternity past and realized in Christ in the fullness
of time through His death and resurrection (20,21).
Let’s
start with 1:17…
I. Respond
to the Father’s Justice: As Pilgrims
in a fallen world, we live with a deep reverence for our just and holy Father
(17).
“And if you call on him as Father who judges
impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear
throughout the time of your exile…”
The term “fear,” whenever the
Bible applies it to God and to the attitude of believers, is “fear” in the
sense of “deep respect, reverence,” as we recognize His awesome power and holiness.
As pilgrims in a fallen world, reverence for our Father motivates us to seek holiness.
I referred recently the story of a child who was being tempted by some friends to
do something he knew his father wouldn’t approve of. When he refused, they
said, “You are just afraid that your father will hurt you if he finds out!” He
replied, “I am not afraid my father will hurt me if I do it, I am afraid that if
I do it, I will hurt my father!” He didn’t want to grieve his father, to bring
pain to him by his disobedience. Paul was talking to the Ephesians about their
conduct in the light of what God has done for us in Christ. He said in Ephesians 4:29-32,
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your
mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their
needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and
slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Paul is saying that the actions he describes would
grieve the Holy Spirit. We are His, we
were bought with a price. “God commended
His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”
(Rom 5:8). If we grasp the love that it took to send the Son into the world and
ultimately to the Cross, we would want to love Him in return. He tells us,
repeatedly, that we show our love for Him by loving one another.
What motivates obedience? In my family
growing up, I might have been more motivated by my father’s sense of justice. He
was a policeman and that thick black belt wasn’t just for holding his pants up!
God our Father is holy, and He loves us, so He “…will chasten every child he
receives.” In our context in I Peter, God’s character is a
motivation to “conduct yourselves with
fear during the time of your exile…” We should love, and have a holy fear
of God our Father, the creator and judge of the universe. God is just,
so we call on Him with fear, that is, with a deep reverence (see Phil 2:12-16a).
I know that some of you have regular exercise plans. Did you know we are all
called to “work out”? We are called to work
out the implications of our salvation. We read about it in Philippians 2:12-16…
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always
obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and
innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted
generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of
life… (Philippians 2:12-16a).
Listen to
what Paul is saying there…
“Therefore,”
in light of the example of Jesus in humbling himself and obediently carrying
out the Fathers plan, and in view of his exaltation to the throne at the
Father’s right hand, “Work out our salvation with fear and trembling…”
You
might think, “Wait a minute, I thought salvation was by grace, God’s unmerited
favor, what’s this about work?” Paul is not saying that we
should work for our salvation. The Bible is very clear that
there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. We can’t work our way
into heaven. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Rom 6:23; Eph
2:8,9). We don’t work for our salvation, but we are to work
out our salvation, in the sense that
we are to live out the implications of being a saved person. We see the interplay between God working in
us, and our responsibility to live our lives in obedience to Him. So, how’s
your “work out” going?” We are saved “unto” obedience. Remember that in I
Peter 1:2 the apostle says his readers, “…are chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to
obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…” Paul said
“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God ordained beforehand that we should walk in them…” (Eph 2:10). A
changed, transformed life is characteristic of biblical Christianity. James
2:17 says that “…faith, if it has no
works, is dead being by itself…” A changed life, conduct that is
characterized by a growing obedience to Jesus is normal, healthy, Christianity.
Our conduct is then part of our witness.
“Fear
and trembling” are always used together in contexts that speak of
God’s sovereignty, and of his holiness and power. It of course does not simply
mean that we are to be “afraid” of God, if you are not covered by the blood of Christ
you should be! We are not to live out our Christian life arrogantly or
presumptuously, but rather with a “humble reverence.” Why? Phil 2:13 goes
on to give the reason…
“… for it is God who works in you
both to will and to do for His good
pleasure…”
How great is our God! We need to live our lives in humble, reverent recognition of
the sovereign hand of God. Paul admonished the Corinthians to live
differently when he said, “Don’t you know
that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
The presence of the holy, all powerful, Creator of the universe should cause us
to tremble! Here he goes even further; God is not only with us and
in us, he is purposefully working in us, “…both to will and
to do for His good pleasure.” The miracle is that as God is working in us, and
He will also work through us! As His plan is unfolding on the stage of
human history he has chosen to include us in his story!
OK.
Come back to I Peter 1:17, “And if
you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds,
conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile…” Verses 13-16 talked about being
“obedient children” and following the Father’s example of holiness, “Be holy
because I am holy.” If we are calling GOD our father, the holy One, the
impartial and just Judge of the universe, we don’t approach Him presumptuously
or flippantly or demanding our way. He is God, we are not! We are His
creatures, and by grace, His children. Therefore, we come with the proper
respect, realizing we are exiles and pilgrims in this fallen world. Because the effects of sin still surround us
and still linger within us, at times our Father needs to get our attention. He
will discipline us, out of love, to teach us, to grow our faith, for our own
good. After reading about the martyrs in Hebrews 11, we are pointed to Jesus in 12:1-2, and then read in 12:3-6...
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such
hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you
have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the
exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the
discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one
he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."
We revere Him, remembering we are exiles… This form of the root word translated “exile” only
appears twice in the NT. The other is in Acts 13:17, referring to Israel’s time
in Egypt. The idea is “resident alien,” someone without the right of
citizenship. Our citizenship is in heaven, our hope is in a new heaven and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells. So, recognizing that this life is not
the end of the story, we live differently. We don’t get so attached to “things,”
knowing that we can’t take any of it with us. We choose to live as children of
the King, pursuing holiness, motivated by a deep reverence for our Father, and,
knowing the cost of our salvation…
II. Remember
the price that was paid: As pilgrims
in a fallen world, we are also motivated by the knowledge that our our
salvation, came at a great cost (1:18,19).
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things, like silver or gold, from the futile ways inherited from your
forefathers, not 19 but with
the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot…”
The word “redeemed” (“ransom” in the ESV) implies
the payment of a price to secure the freedom of another. We were slaves to sin
and to Satan, powerless to save ourselves. Being good, being religious, doing
good works, none of our effort could save us. The price was too high, we
couldn’t pay it. But “God commended his love toward us in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us…” (Rom 5:8). This week, a federal judge ruled
that John Hinkley, who had attempted to assassinate President Reagan, could be
fully released from the supervised release he has been on, in June of next year.
Reflecting on his brush with death and
subsequent recovery, Reagan had said, “I have a new sense that I was spared
for a purpose and that all my time belonged to God after that.”
We were
dead in sin, but God, who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ! What kind
of response does that evoke in you? How then should we live? It should change
you to realize that God knows you and loves you and chose you from the
foundation of the earth, to be in His family, to have a place is his Kingdom
and to share in his mission now, during the time of your exile. You too were
saved for a purpose!
You were
ransomed at a great cost. Not with silver or gold, but by something much more
precious, the blood of Christ. A sacrifice, a substitute was required. He was
the Lamb of God, who laid down his life to take away the sins of the world. He
did that for us. So, we should live differently, out of a deep reverence
for our Father, knowing that He planned such a costly salvation, and included
us in His plan.
III. Rejoice
in the Father’s Plan: As pilgrims in
a fallen world, we rejoice in God’s salvation plan devised in eternity past and
realized in Christ in the fullness of time through His death and resurrection
(20,21).
“He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21 who through him are believers
in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and
hope are in God.”
God’s rescue plan goes back to before
the foundation of the world (20a). Peter says, “He [Jesus] was foreknown
before the foundation of the world…” The idea of “foreknowing” is a
challenging one to grasp. The English word “prescience” has the sense of
“knowing something beforehand.” However, the Bible, when God is the subject,
when He is the “knower,” there is more to it. Remember back in I Peter 1:2 we
read that Peter called the recipients of this letter are “elect... according to the foreknowledge of God the Father...” That
is referring to the truth that God knew us and loved us from before the
foundation of the world. That word is used here, in our passage, to describe
the Father’s “foreknowledge” of the Son, “He
was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the
last times for your sake...” (I Pet 1:20).
It was not that the Father was
doubting or monitoring if the Son would stand the test, or even knowing
beforehand that He would do so. The
point is that the Father knew and loved the Son from eternity. God planned our Great Salvation in eternity
past, and in the fullness of time He sent forth His Son… for us. If we
grasp that, it will change us! This is how God showed His love among us, He
sent His only Son… (I John 4:9). If you are a believer in Christ, think
about it: He knew and loved you and He planned your redemption from the
foundation of the world (1:2).
Our faith
in Christ and our hope in the salvation He has provided are rooted in His death,
resurrection, and glorification (20b-21).
God’s plan unfolded in history exactly as it was planned in the Godhead
in eternity past. The writer to the Hebrews opens his epistle saying, “In
different times and in different ways God spoke in times past to the fathers
through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken in the Son…”
(Heb 1:1,2). That revelation in history gives us a sure hope in our time of
exile.
What is God
saying to me in this passage? And so,
we pursue holiness, having a deep reverence for our Holy and awesome Father,
knowing the cost of our salvation.
What would God have me
to do in response to this passage? This is who you are, and who’s you are. This is your
position. How then, should you live? Most of us don’t usually think about
holiness. Who needs it? God says we do. “…Pursue… holiness, without which no
one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14). Do you fear God, the holy awesome
Creator and Judge of the universe? He gave His Son for us. He endured the
cross, bearing our sins in His body. Paul told the Corinthians, “Since we
have these promises… let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of the body
and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” In Hebrews we read, “How shall we escape if
we neglect so great a salvation?”
Because we have
the Holy Spirit in us, we will know if our conduct, our way of life, is pleasing
to God. We think, holding grudges against a brother or sister is our right,
after all, they treated you badly. Really? Jesus said if your brother “…sins against
you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, ‘I
repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Lk 17:4). We have received grace, let’s
extend grace to others. The world says that sex outside of marriage is acceptable.
God’s plan is a man and a woman in a covenant, marriage relationship as the
only legitimate context for it. God is holy, He will judge. And because He
loves us, He will chasten us. Let’s take a moment to confess, to allow the Spirit
to expose our hearts, and receive the cleansing He offers us (I Jn 1:9). God’s
holiness, and our sinfulness, made the Cross necessary. Only His mercy and
grace made it happen. Be holy as He is Holy. Let’s call on God as Father…
AMEN.
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