SWEPT AWAY BY GRACE—A STUDY IN I PETER (PART 5)—GRACE GIVEN HOPE TO STAND
Throughout this study in I Peter, we have seen “Grace” proclaimed. God called, God saved, and God preserves. He has given unto each of us who believe in Him the greatest gift of all, His Gracious presence as our heavenly Father. It has been evident that we could not earn this gift. We could never be good enough nor wise enough with our own finite self-absorbed minds to be able to recognize His Glory and His righteousness. We were created to be receptacles of His Love, His Joy and His Glory and in seeing we are to be always echoing back to Christ His own Glory, magnifying it like a mirror reflecting light. Yet, we somehow think that we are here to receive earthly gifts and treasures. In our selfish natures we believe that our desires are of ultimate importance. Our at times we become proud in our “accomplishments for God.” We are incapable of doing anything for God unless He gives us that gift of Grace for that moment and then it is He who has accomplished the good through and in spite of me. Peter was so aware of that very truth and we need remember that as we move to verse 13 which on first appearance might seem a call to action on our part. Let us look closely at these verses:
I PETER 1: 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
So, let me try to explain this further to help you understand.
Peter now begins a plea for righteous living because of the Grace we have been provided and because of the burning light of hope that one day we will be fully clothed in Christ’s righteousness. For that reason, we must be diligent and alert to obeying God.
So let’s look at the three exhortations that Peter gives us in verses 13-14.
1. We are to “gird up the loins of our minds”. We are to take our cloaks of truth and wrap them tightly around our mind so that we are freed to move and run with our minds protected from the dirt and dust around us. If the truth of the word is tightly secured around our mind, the lies of Satan and the world cannot penetrate to destroy our hope in Christ.
2. Be sober—do not become drunk with the wines of pride, arrogance, greed, jealousy, nor with the obsession to fulfill human desires. How quickly we can be drawn away when we allow self to daydream of anything that can become more important that God Himself. We need not allow ourselves to be intoxicated with anything that can lead our hearts toward sin.
3. Hope in the truth of Grace—He has promised to complete the work He began in each of us who believe and trust in Him. I must always hold fast to that hope—trusting in Him to finish what He has begun. When I hope in that truth the trials of this journey become stepping stones in the truth that leads me home. God will accomplish all that He plans in me and through me. What an amazing truth of Grace.
Can you sing, “Your Grace on Which I Stand”
©2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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