Series Outline
1. Who is
holy? 1 Peter 1:1-12 - this text aims to show us the basis or foundation
from which our quest for holy living proceeds. The key text here is 1:2,3
2.
Called to be holy. 1 Peter
1:13-25 – this text explains the
motivation for holy living. The chief motivation for holy living is that we
are called to imitate the God who is holy. The key text here is 1:15,16
3.
Living as a holy community. 1
Peter 2:1-12 - this text examines the primary context of holy
living - the Christian community. If it
doesn’t work at home, it is hard to export it! The key text here is 2:4,5
4. Living as holy citizens in an unholy
world. 1 Peter 2:13-25 – this
text aims to
help us to live as holy people in
an unholy world. The key text
here is 2:21
5.
Living a holy life even when life is unfair. This text helps us to formulate a Christian response to situations which we deem unfair. 1
Peter 3:8-22. Key text – 3:15
1.
1 PETER 1:1-12 “WHO IS HOLY?”
Peter, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit[1] writes a pastoral letter to the scattered flock of the Lord Jesus in the diaspora[2] - the regions of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, in what is today known as Turkey. Some of the 3000 converts, many of them Jews from the diaspora, were in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost [Acts 2:9]. They heard Peter preaching the gospel about Jesus there, they believed the gospel and they brought the gospel back to their homes in these regions. But, things were not easy in their world. Those in the dispersion were facing various trials (e.g. 1:6; 3:13,14; 4:12-19; 5:10). And so Peter writes this pastoral letter to provide them with much needed perspective. To be a practising Christian means to experience various trials. We find examples of various trials right here in Peter’s letter:
· They were exiles - because they were Christians, they were out of place and unwelcome in the world of their day. They were forced to move away. The trials would have included political persecution for some, for these were the days in which the cruel Roman emperor Nero ruled.
· They suffered spiritual persecution by those opposed to the gospel. 1 Peter 4:13,14 speaks about sharing in Christ’s sufferings.
· Some trials are induced by the sinful nature. Peter makes reference to this in 4:15. Some trials are the result of our own lack of wisdom.
· Some trials come from the hand of God our heavenly Father. He sometimes tests the genuineness of our faith, a testing by fire. Peter makes reference to this in 1:7. The process may be painful but the fruit is sweet.
· Christians have a sworn enemy, Satan. He is “a roaring lion, prowling around, seeking for all kinds of opportunities” - to do damage to any believer and to hinder the progress of the kingdom of God. [1 Pet.5:8].
In practical terms then it is very hard to be a Christian. Actually, without God’s help it is impossible to be a Christian, and so, one of the greatest trials and challenges for Christians is to stay holy in an unholy world.
It was hard for the people that Peter was writing to.
It was hard for the people that the writer to the Hebrews was writing to.
It is hard to be a Christian in our times. In recent times we have seen some high- profile apostasies from Christ, and at church level this COVID season has brought about a real purging. Many churches worldwide have reported people not returning to public worship. In addition there is a renewed anti-Christian spirit in the world, on many fronts. Looking at the recent edition of the Evangelical Times confirms that.
But our greatest trial has been
a false Christianity that has been invading the church, taking many people
captive by its hollow teachings. These false teachers do
not encourage us to be like our Lord
Jesus, but they have caused many people in the churches to become
“lovers of self, lovers of money,
proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving
good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”
(2 Tim. 3:2-5).
The world cannot make a distinction between a holy church and
an unholy church, and I fear that the prevalence of unholiness in the church has
made the church obsolete in the eyes of
the world. Already it is hard to find a
God fearing, Bible preaching, Christ exalting, Spirit filled church. And if you
are part of such a church, thank God, but know also that such a church will be
challenged and booed and ridiculed by our growing cynical, a-moral,
relativistic, atheistic society. It is hard to be a true Christian in our times,
particularly when you want to hold to the Bible’s teachings. The world perceives
us to be the enemy of our progressive modern society, and that in itself can bring about
strong trials.
Peter’s primary
message for these Christians (and for
us) living in the midst of various trials, and living in a world in which we often feel like
exiles [we don’t belong here], is to
keep loving the Lord Jesus [1:8] and
to keep on living holy and obedient lives, remembering
that God will soon
deliver us from our trials at the
revelation of Jesus Christ [1:13], whether it is by His physical
appearing, or by our death.
Being a Christian means to be holy. We have already said that this takes more than mere will-power and human effort.
So where do we start? How can we be holy? And who is holy?
We must start where the Bible starts. With
God! And with great relief we learn that
God is responsible in the first place for our holiness. Follow the logic of the text:
1:1,2: Peter,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
the sanctification of the Spirit,
for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.
Now let us say immediately that there is no obvious mention made of the word ‘holy’ in the text which we have read. But the concept and the idea is right there.
But first,
let us try to understand the word, ‘holy’.
Holiness is a noun.
Being holy, as used in 1:15,16, 2:5,9; 3:4,15, is an adjective. However the verb,
(the action word) in the English language is strangely translated in 1:2 as ‘sanctify’[3]
(and not ‘holify’). In both the Hebrew
and Greek language holy/ sanctify mean
“to be set apart” or “to be separated” for God. God is
the One who does that. Now it is important that we see this right away. God transforms an unholy people into a
holy people. Leonard Ravenhill[4]
once said, “The greatest miracle that God
can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy,
then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.”
The basis of our
holiness is found in the work of the Holy Trinity, and in particular to that
work of God in salvation which begins with election. Note, that Peter writes to the “the elect exiles”.
The doctrine of election (the first aspect of the doctrine of
salvation) underlies our first study of biblical holiness. Any attempt to
explain the doctrine of holiness without placing it into the entire scope of
the doctrine of salvation (from election to glorification) will quickly
take us into a wrong direction. When I was a
young believer, and not well taught
in the Scriptures, I thought that justification was God’s work in salvation and that
sanctification was to be my work
or contribution to my salvation. That is clearly wrong. The work of saving a
person begins with election, and it includes our sanctification and ends with our
glorification.[5]
All of it is of God. Holiness/
sanctification is an integral component
of our salvation! We are saved to be holy. Whatever responsibility we have in working out our salvation with fear and
trembling [6] must
be worked out from that premise: Our holiness
or sanctification is
first of all from God! Our
ability to lead a holy life is from God. Our holiness proceeds from God’s own holy nature.
When we were originally made in the image of God we were originally set aside for holy purposes. The fall in Genesis 3 made man a sinner. Man became unholy. But God, who is rich in mercy works his wonderful grace into undeserving, unholy sinners. Those who look to Him and who are saved are called ‘God’s holy people’ / (saints- those who are sanctified) once again. But since no one seeks God naturally, God inclines the heart of some to hear and believe. He makes them holy, and He does so by an eternal decree. God sets the believer apart from before they are born [Isa. 49:1; Jer. 1:5].
The experience of holy living begins with
the doctrine of election. The word elect
(eklegō), literally translates
as ‘to call out’, and it is
used many times in the Scripture[7] with reference to the work of God, in selecting or choosing His people
whom He also foreknew (proginosko) and
who He predestined to be saved. Thus, the believer is called out to be set apart. Thw word ' election' then conveys the same idea as the word 'holy' holy’ – being
set apart.
And now that phrase, the elect exiles in 1:1 must be read in conjunction with 1:2 where Peter describes how this salvation (which includes our sanctification) has come about in terms of a Trinitarian work. The elect exiles (born again to a living hope 1:8; 23) were:
(i) Foreknown by the Father
(ii) In the sanctification of the Spirit
(iii) For obedience to Jesus Christ and for the sprinkling with his blood.
Our
obedience to Jesus is a very necessary confirmation of our election and
calling. It must be seen in our very real love for Him and for His church,
and for this lost world.
The marks of holy living are worked out in 1:3-12 in terms of a real experience of salvation. The key words there are hope, faith and love. These three terms are at the heart of our Christian experience, and the life of holiness, which as we have seen proceeds from the basis of God's prior work in us:
(i) You are born again into a living, experiential hope (1:3)
(ii) You have a living, experiential faith (1:5)
(iii) You have an tangible, experiential love for Jesus (1:8)
Our doctrine of holiness must begin where the Word of God begins. With God. There we are rooted. He declares us holy.
And from that positional righteousness which is ours through Christ, we work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12,13), knowing that God works in us!
In so doing, with weak and feeble hearts, we continually cry out for help to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is the place of prayer! And the good news is that from our position in Christ, and fighting against remaining sin, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit. In the sanctification of the Spirit we can fight against the works of the flesh: sexual immorality (pornography), impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, immorality, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these (Galatians 5:18-20). And should we fail (which we do so very often because of the feebleness of our faith in God) we are still bound in the bonds of holiness by Him that called us. This is the amazing grace of God. This is what Paul marvels at in Romans 7.
But let us stop here for now. Next time we will say more.
[1] 2
Peter 1:21
[2] Diaspora: lit. sown
through; John 7:35 makes reference
to this. Diaspora was the common term for describing the Jews scattered
throughout the world after the Babylonian exile of 587 BC
[3] Gr. hagiasmō
[4] Leonard Ravenhill (18 June 1907 – 27
November 1994) was an English Christian evangelist and author who focused on
the subjects of prayer and revival.
[5] E.g. see the golden chain
of salvation in Romans 8:29,30) .
In Systematic theology we speak of the ORDO SALUTIS – the Order of salvation : 1.Election 2. Calling 3.Regeneration ( Being born again) 4.Conversion ( Faith and
repentance) 5.Justification 6. Adoption 7. Sanctification 8. Perseverance ( remaining a Christian) 9.
Glorification (Death & receiving
a resurrection body)
[6]
Phil 2:12,13
[7] Four words for election in the N.T are
derived from the same Greek root.
(i) Verb eklego, to choose or to select. (ii) Noun eklogē (election). (iii) Adjective eklektos
(choice) is often used with the definite article as a noun and translated the elect. (iv) suneklektos, lit. chosen
together with. Together these four
words occur 52 in the NT: eklego 22
times, eklogē
7 times, eklektos 22 times, suneklektos 1 time).
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