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Join Peter Englert, a pastor, and Dr. Ron Hall, professor and pastor, as they delve into the book of 1 Peter. This book helps readers cope with suffering in an antagonistic world by offering hope in Jesus. Whether you're exploring faith or a long-time follower of Jesus, read through the book of 1 Peter on your own or with a group of friends with insights to better understand this book of the Bible.
1 Peter 1:13-25
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Peter Englert: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Reading First Peter podcast. I'm Peter Engler. I am your host, and I am here with my co-host, my friend, my former professor Ron Hall. Ron, how you doing today?
Ron Hall: I am doing well. Glad
Peter Englert: I.
Ron Hall: meet up.
Peter Englert: There we go. Well, let's get started. I'm gonna read, uh, we're in the next section, which is first Peter, uh, one 13 through 25. So let me read it in the NIV version and then we'll talk about it together.
And it says this, therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be. Brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming 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 that you do for it is written.
Be holy because I am holy. Since you call on a father who judges each person's work [00:01:00] impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear for you know that it was not with perishable things such as gold or silver, that you are, were redeemed from empty way, from an empty way of life. Handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but revealed in these last times, for your sake, through him, you believe in God who has raised him from the dead and glorified him. And so your faith and your hope are in God. Now that you. Have purified yourselves by obeying the the truth so that you have sincere love for each other.
Love one another, deeply from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God for all. People are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers [00:02:00] fall. But the word of the Lord endures forever.
And this is the word that was preached to you. So Ron, as we get started, um, what is kind of the major. Theme that's jumping out to you in understanding this next passage of one Peter.
Ron Hall: Well, because it reinforces it over and over again. It's the idea of holy living that we don't always relate with in our culture. So it's this idea of this holy separated life. And as you read it, you can get that flavor of cross reverences to Romans chapter 12. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed. So it's a life that is separated out from the way the world is going. And
Peter Englert: And.
Ron Hall: our theme going through the letter. Is how do we live the Christian life in an antagonistic world? And these verses right here are telling us how we live it. We're we're living a life that's ordered differently than what's happening to the marching orders of the world.
Peter Englert: You know, [00:03:00] so one of the things I love about this passage is this passage seems very transitional, the first two passage, so one and two, and three through 12. It was introducing a lot of deep themes, but as I have read this passage, there's the old themes of foreigners. Or exiles that comes back. And then it's interesting that Peter brings up silver and gold, which was something he talked about of the faith.
And then we see some even bigger themes of soberness in verse 13. And then we're gonna see him repeat love one another deeply. Later on, so why don't you talk to the fact of this is transitional. It's looking back at the first 12 verses, but it's actually looking forward to all the way to the end of chapter five when the book ends.
Ron Hall: well customer coming face to face with these Old Testament themes. [00:04:00] were referenced in the first verses, early verses, and now it's reinforced. And then in chapter two, we're gonna see its reinforcement of this idea that we're strangers and aliens. We live a holy life, and that would help us to better appreciate the references to holy living, be holy for I am holy. so it's a, it's a, a recurring theme that as, as you picked up and stated, well, and we're not, we're not separating out from what's gone before. It shows a thematic flow within the letter. uh, and I love the way it talks about your forefathers and it's referencing, referencing back to people from the Old Testament. walked out the life. And now here we are called to live out that very life that honors God, it wraps around this concept of holiness that we have a struggle with in our modern day culture.
Peter Englert: Hmm. So let's talk about holiness. 'cause I think that that's really [00:05:00] important. Um. So, you know, this is a very old reference. Sometimes people read BE Holy As God is Holy and they think of Dana Garvey's church lady from, uh, Saturday Night Live. Like, don't go to movies, don't smoke, don't drink, and don't go with people that do what?
What is holiness and what's the definition? The biblical definition and then maybe what's the nuance that Peter is saying in this passage? Um, how do you understand it? How would you explain it?
Ron Hall: Yeah. Well, it's such a good question because if we are gonna say the Christian life is a bunch of do's and don'ts, we're gonna miss the point. Holiness is something that comes internally and it deals with the behavior that we have. So if you drop back to verse 13 and in verse 14, it's about, uh, not giving sway to evil desires that are within us. So when we experience holiness God and says, [00:06:00] be holy, for I am holy quoting outta Leviticus, it's something that is happening internally. So the closer we move to the Lord. The more surfaces within us, that act of holiness. I, I think a good parallel is out of one John chapter one. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus, God's son cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
So holiness is something, it is the very character of God. It's, it's, it's purity. It's not given to evil desires and that walking in the light as he is in the light is something that then perfects us, that develops us, that holiness is central. And, uh, boy, we live in a culture that if the Christian life is just a bunch of dos and don'ts, we're gonna fall flat on our face.
Peter Englert: You know, it's something interesting in the passage because one of the pictures that he gives is, he says, as obedient children. And I think in our [00:07:00] culture we might read that as like children that are micromanaged and controlled. But I, I think if you flip it to maybe the ancient culture, if I was the child of a king.
I am inheriting, I am receiving. And like there's a brilliancy to what Peter's saying. He's saying, as obedient children, you don't get to choose where you're born. Like you don't get to do that. And in some ways, if you were to assume a healthy family. I think even what you're saying is it has to be the internal work that affects the behavior on the outward.
And so even this obedient children, it's not nice and quiet children on the side. It's like, no, you're, you're part of what your father is doing. And so, you know, I think about family values, you know, what are the family values of following Jesus? Um, it's because of the identity and who the family is that we act, and I, I think that that's [00:08:00] just a powerful metaphor that we can walk away and because of our modern times, we overlook what that meant.
Ron Hall: Yeah, and there's that, that rooting. You're, it's good. You're bringing up the father image and that is what verse 17 does you call on the father who judges each man impartially. I. So there's this family connection and because he's our father, we want to walk in his ways, we wanna follow after his ways, and that will be picked up at the end of chapter two, that Jesus left us an example that we should follow. So with, without the Lord Peter doing this within us, we, we can't cut the Christian life. It's not where we have the strength to live out this instruction that Peter is giving us. He wants it to be a natural outgrowth, and that's why he reinforces this idea of those words that we mentioned in previous sessions of being born.
Again, it's really found just in the Gospel of John. In [00:09:00] one peter, in one John. Uh, there's other language used about a new creation in other parts of the New Testament, but here it's described as new birth. So if the new birth doesn't take place within us. And being washed by the blood of Christ, which can be spooky to a lot of people.
If you're not familiar with the Christian life, uh, then we're not gonna be able to have that walk. It's his nature within us. And then we are yielding and surrendering. And that will be the part of obedience that you're bringing up now, I.
Peter Englert: So let's, let's talk about like real application. Um, and so I'll share my thoughts and then I want to hear yours. And so I look at, there's this beautiful bookend. Um, so verse 13, it starts with, uh. The alertness and fully sober. And then it ends with, and this is the word that's preached to you. And so what I think about the application of this passage is [00:10:00] when God does something internally in you, it changes the way you think and it changes the way that you decide.
And the example I want to use is in this passage it says, love each other deeply. And then later on he's gonna say, love each other deeply because love. Um. Covers a multitude of sins. And he is not saying, because you love, you can dismiss sins. It's like, no, because you love, you're not taking your revenge or your anger.
And I see that all tying to the mind of, you know, the whole point of what Peter's trying to do, doctrinally and forming is as you think, like not conforming to the world, you're not gonna take revenge, you're gonna slow down, you're going to pray about that and you're going. To see situations and see people the way that God does, and so I think that that's just a natural application.
All of these things you can't do unless Jesus is changing your heart and you're seeing the world the way he is, or at least [00:11:00] attempting to, I don't know. Would you add to that or, yeah.
Ron Hall: well, I think it's reinforcing that whole idea of the new birth that was picked up in verse three. We've been born again into a living hope and now reinforced in multiple verses here about this work that is going on within us. So our part is, So you, are we going to yield to sin or are we going to yield to God's ways of righteousness? Paul describes that so well in Romans chapter six of whether we'll render the, uh, instruments of our bodies as on, on righteousness or to righteousness. Uh, I don't know if, uh, anybody caught the story this weekend of the guy who he was 36 years in prison because he was convicted of killing his wife. And he never killed his wife. And the real murderer ended up being feeling so guilty with all the people he killed over the years, confessed it. And the guy [00:12:00] at 36 years in prison, uh, was released and ended up forgiving guy who had actually killed his wife. He
Peter Englert: He came to Christ while the resident, he felt
Ron Hall: filled a, a fruitful, uh, purpose and rather than wanting to take
Peter Englert: to take revenge
Ron Hall: instead it
Peter Englert: it was Christ in.
Ron Hall: that enabled him to forgive who killed his wife. Now, I
Peter Englert: Now I.
Ron Hall: how you take that for me. 36 years in prison, I'd wanna get even, even though you wouldn't wanna go back. But what did that, well, what this verse is talking about, born again into a living hope, the idea of the transformation from
Peter Englert: From within.
Ron Hall: And rather than walking in the ways of the flesh, he chose to walk in the ways of holiness. He chose to yield his spirit man to God. So here, in a sense, you could say he lost 36 years of his life, but then that's how he came to Christ. And if you didn't catch that article for [00:13:00] anybody, it's worth. Picking up on the story. It's one of those remarkable, uh, stories of forgiveness that occurs in people's lives. How do you do that? It's gotta be Christ, how do we, how do we have this transformation within our lives? It's through Christ dying on the cross for our sins and giving us this life that the scriptures here are talking about.
Peter Englert: So one thing about this passage that I kind of want to come, I want to continue a few conversations 'cause I think the repetition's important to us. Where do you see the theme of suffering and where do you see this theme of submission in this passage? In that string?
Ron Hall: Okay. It's really gonna pick up when we get into chapter two,
Peter Englert: Mm-hmm.
Ron Hall: we get to verse 11, and it's going to take us all the way through, uh, chapter three. And even in the start of, of chapter four here, I think it is a preparation for how are we going to respond to this antagonistic world that is around us. [00:14:00] Rather than giving way to the sins of this world, instead we're going to yield ourselves over to the Lord. We're going to submit to him. So what are you doing when you're faced with temptation and the world is drawing on you? Or like we talked last week about, uh, the, the way that these impulses of the world drawn us. Are we gonna give into them or are we gonna give in into the Lord? So I think the theme of submission. Which is again, threaded throughout the letter. It's the idea year of solidifying that spiritual walk that we have. And then in chapter two, how do we live that out?
Peter Englert: Mm mm Okay. So I, I do wanna come back to something else that you said. 'cause I think it's important to point out the sacrificial system in the, um, in the Old Testament. It's very confusing. Um, I think people, they can tell you. Like why Jesus died on the cross. But I think [00:15:00] it's, it's hard to kind of pick up why do we need to kill lambs, um, you know, to sacrifice them.
What do you think Peter is trying to illustrate with us? We, again, there's a lot of mystery to why God chose that way, but. If we un, maybe, if we understand what Peter's trying to get at, it might help us understand the rest of the Bible, what the writers are trying to communicate, um, with the system.
Ron Hall: Well, um, remember now verse three is the key verse. We've been born again to a living hope, to the resurrection of Christ. So our salvation has been paid for through the work of Christ on the cross I. And people like to look at Christianity. Well, you know it's a blood religion. Well, it is because Leviticus 1711 said, the life of the
Peter Englert: The
Ron Hall: is in the
Peter Englert: in,
Ron Hall: and so far,
Peter Englert: so therefore, the shedd.
Ron Hall: the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin. Our price had to be paid for our salvation. But [00:16:00] what he's getting at is this uniqueness of the life that has been purchased for us. It's worth far more than gold. You know, it's imperishable. It won't spoil, it won't fade away. He's reinforcing that concept and, and the price that's been paid is what Christ has done. And at the end of chapter two, when we get there, he'll reinforce that same theme.
Peter Englert: Mm-hmm.
Ron Hall: Christ was led like a lamb to the slaughter in order to give his life as a sacrifice. But um, are you getting at something else you're seeing there?
Peter Englert: No, I, I think that that's super helpful. 'cause I think sometimes I. If you've been a long time Christian, you're listening to it, you gloss over it. And if you're a new Christian or somebody, maybe we have listeners that don't even believe in Jesus yet. You're trying to figure it out. So I think that that was a really, that was a really good description for it.
Why don't we close with this, uh, kind of final idea and maybe one more question after that. Why do you think Peter closes? Uh, with the reference to humans are like [00:17:00] flowers in the field, they're fade away, but the word of God, um, stands forever. Um, it is just an interesting place to close. How do you understand that to the rest of the passage?
Ron Hall: Yeah. I'm glad we looped around to that because you, the reinforcement of the significance of the word, he's out to show how temporary. And loose what the world does that people are not going to last. So of the things we see going on out in the world cannot sustain us. It has to be something far deeper.
So, you know, men, yep. They're gonna come and go. Or in the words of James life is, but a vapor. It's here for a moment, and then it's gone. So it's the idea of something that is secure and lasting dips back into Isaiah chapter 40 here. And he points to something that's of eternal value, word. And here we are visiting his word and think about all the verses in scripture that are reinforcing in Jesus, in Matthew four, four, man shall not live [00:18:00] by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. I was thinking about as, uh, reflecting on today and in Psalm 1 38, 2, he's placed, God has placed his word above his name, that's something that is secure. And then, uh, Psalms 12, six. You know that every word of God is pure as silver tried a furnace of earth purified seven times. So Peter's
Peter Englert: Peter
Ron Hall: to that which is solid and true. And if you took the time to go back and read Isaiah 40, where it comes from, you realize he's locking into something that's worthwhile.
In Isaiah 40, there was the mystery of people putting their lives into something that didn't have lasting meaning. But then Isaiah comes around, it's the word of God. So it's, um, it's so
Peter Englert: Significant.
Ron Hall: this.
Peter Englert: Mm. So final question. You know, we talked about our mind, we talked about praying, you know, and just, um, and the work that Jesus does in [00:19:00] us. What, what's maybe one application question, um, or one maybe piece of application that you'd want to leave our listeners and the readers of First Peter with?
Ron Hall: Well, I think it would be more focused in a prayer,
Peter Englert: Mm-hmm.
Ron Hall: and that would be, Lord, how can my life better line up with who you are? That's that idea of yielding. How can my life better reflect the way that you are compared to the way the world is? that's, and that is a sobering, uh, prayer to pray. Because God's
Peter Englert: Mm-hmm.
Ron Hall: help us see things in the world that looked like my wife said to me this morning, the world is so ugly we look around what's happening, but how can my life better reflect, uh, who you are?
Peter Englert: Well, and, and, um, you know, I think when it says, do not conform to the world, just like Romans 12, one and two, how often do we come up with our own solutions and then [00:20:00] pray as opposed to pray? And see what God says, and even just opening ourselves up to listen and hear. I, I think that that's really powerful.
Ron Hall: Yes.
Peter Englert: Hmm. Well, we're talking about prayer. Ron, why don't you close us in prayer with this passage.
Ron Hall: Lord, in light of what we've looked at, we pray that our lives would exhibit your light as we cross-reference one. John, that we'd walk in the light as you are in the light, that your blood can cleanse us from. All unrighteousness. Help us to have a life that honors you with what we do. a check in our thoughts and our attitudes and desires. Let that new birth, that new nature we have through Christ within us be which flourishes in which comes out in our relationships and how we respond to the world we're living in. In Jesus' name, amen. I.
Peter Englert: Amen. Thank you so much for joining us in the Reading First Peter [00:21:00] podcast.