PETER'S
EPISTLES
1 Peter: Living In
Conflict With The Culture
V. Practical Steps
For Effective Living In A Deteriorating Culture
(1 Peter 1:13-16)
I.
Introduction
A.
Several
believers in different states of the nation have reported on the increasing
difficulty they face in living in accord with Bible truth since doing so
conflicts with the godless world's deteriorating culture around them.
B.
"First
Peter was written to Christians . . . whose stand for Jesus Christ made them
aliens and strangers in the midst of a pagan society" (Bible Know. Com.,
N. T., p. 837), so we study 1 Peter for insight and edification.
C.
1 Peter
1:13-16 teaches us believers practical steps for effective living in a
deteriorating culture (as follows):
II.
Practical Steps For Effective Living In A
Deteriorating Culture, 1 Peter 1:13-16.
A.
For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should prepare our
minds for action, 1 Peter 1:13a:
1.
The KJV
verb "gird up" renders the Greek verb anazosamenoi, the middle aorist participle of anazonnumi, "bind, gird up the
long Oriental robes to facilitate work or walking" (U. B. S. Grk. N. T.,
1966, p. 792; The Analyt. Grk. Lex. (Zon.), 1972, p. 22; Arndt &
Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 53), and the
"robes" involved here are those of the "mind" (dianoias, Ibid., p. 186).
2.
In figurative
language, then, Peter was directing his readers to prepare their minds for
action, a "tough-minded holiness that is ready for action" in
difficult times, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 843.
3.
In other
words, the godless world's deteriorating culture is not a time for complacency
in the Christian life, for complacency in such a time breeds spiritual
defeat. Rather, we must be strong and
affirmative.
B.
For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should be controlled
by the Holy Spirit from the inside out, not controlled by the godless world around
us, 1 Peter 1:13b:
1.
The KJV
verb "be sober" renders the Greek verb nephontes, a participle of nepho, "be sober [from mental and spiritual
'drunkenness']," Ibid., The Analyt. Grk. Lex., p. 277; Ibid., Arndt
& Gingrich, p. 540.
2.
Since
literal drunkenness results from a party being controlled within by ingesting
alcoholic beverages, in its figurative sense as here, the call to be sober
meant, "Rather than being controlled by outside circumstances, believers should
be directed from within," Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T.
3.
A lot of
strong pressures come at us believers from a deteriorating culture that is
moving further from God, so we are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit from
within to counter the influences of the world around us.
C.
For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should set our hope
completely on the grace to be bestowed on us at the coming of our Lord, 1 Peter
1:13c:
1.
The
phrase "to the end" (KJV) renders the Greek adverb teleios, "fully, perfectly,
completely, altogether" (Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 818), indicating
that our hope is to be set determinably on the grace to be bestowed upon us at
Christ's coming for us.
2.
A world
that is deteriorating in its culture in departing from the Lord can tempt us to
be distracted into thinking our existence is hopeless, but we are to counter
such defeatism by focusing on our eternal destiny.
D.
For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should not conform to
the evil desires of our past sinful lives as unbelievers, 1 Peter 1:14:
1.
The KJV
verb "not fashioning " renders the Greek verb suschematizo, "forming, molding," Ibid., p. 803.
2.
Especially
in a spiritually deteriorating culture, we believers who have been saved from
sin should not mold our thinking and behavior after the former lusts in our
ignorance in our past, unsaved lives!
3.
Rather,
we need to be obedient to the Lord Who has called us away from living in such
godlessness!
E.
For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should live separate
from evil, 1 Peter 1:15-16:
1.
The KJV
adjective "holy" translates the Greek adjective hagios that carries the overriding
emphasis on "pure" or "clean," Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N.
T.; Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 9-10; T. D. N. T., vol. I, p.
88-89.
2.
In the
context of 1 Peter 1:14, the holiness of God to which the believer is called is
a life pure from and separate from defilement by the former lusts in our
ignorance in our past unsaved lives! (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Lesson: For
effective living in a deteriorating culture, we believers should prepare our
minds for action, be controlled by the Holy Spirit from the inside out, set our
hope completely on God's grace at Christ's return, not fashion ourselves after
our former unsaved lives of lust and ignorance and live separate from all such evil.
Application:
May we make the adjustments we need to make to live effective lives in a
deteriorating culture.