1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore

1 Peter 1:13

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Whenever you see the word, “therefore”, you need to ask, “What is it there for?” In this case, “therefore” refers to the salvation Peter just discussed and directs our attention to the way we should act in light of that salvation: we should be prepared for action, self-controlled, and set our hope on grace. Salvation is a call to action. I’m afraid we often think once we are saved, heaven is ours – the work is done. Peter tells us that the work is just beginning!

To state it another way: “To whom much has been given, of him will much be required.” – Luke 12:48. We have been given salvation – that is MUCH…

“prepare your minds for action”

I like sports. I like to play them and I like to watch them. During pregame, TV cameras will often find players in the locker room preparing for the game. Some players are seated with their headphones on, staring at the ground. Others bounce up and down/jog in place with their headphones on. Still others walk up and down the locker room nodding their head with their headphones on. Each player prepares his or her mind in their own way – though wearing headphones is apparently universal.

How do you prepare your mind for life as a Christian? How do you prepare for worship when you attend? Do you walk out the door prepared with an answer in case someone asks you about Jesus? How do your prepare for the temptation that you might face during the day? Do you think of ways to love and encourage your friends?

Peter tells us that the Christian life is a life of action. We are to love, forgive, share, teach, pray, make peace, sacrifice, preach, worship, seek, meditate, remember, hope, and glorify our God. That’s a busy life!

“be self-controlled”

Self-control. That has to be one of the least popular hyphenated words in the English language. I don’t want to control myself. I want to eat what I want to eat, I want to do what I want to do, and I want to spend my money the way I want to spend it. Human nature is heavy on self, and light on control.

God calls us to something different – and something better. He calls us to eat in moderation so that others will have food. He calls us to give some of our time to help others who need a hand. He calls us to spend less of our money so we can give to those who are in need. He calls us to consider others every bit as important as ourselves. What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

By the way, that last sentence gives you God’s general will for your life. You can be busy doing that as you consider God’s specific will for your life. Thankfully God gives us His Spirit to help us live His way – we could not do it on our own.

“set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Peter says that the only thing worthy enough to be the foundational hope of our lives is the grace that will perfect us when Jesus comes again. The promise of becoming perfect like Christ, being glorified by the Father like Christ, and receiving the eternal inheritance with Christ – is where our hope should reside. We should pin our hope on the grace of Christ for two, no, three reasons.

1. The grace of Christ is the only guaranteed thing in this world. Other things may or may not happen, but the grace of Christ IS a sure thing – no doubt about it.

2. The grace of Christ is the only eternal thing to hope in. All those other things may be good, but they will fade away. Grace is forever.

3. The grace of Christ is the only thing we should hope in because that is what the bible says. Questions?

So, where is your hope? Is it in your friends or family? Your degree? Is your hope in a good job? Money? Health? Is your hope built around a relationship? A future relationship? When you shake everything out, where is your hope? If it is in something other than the grace of Christ – your hope will fail. (Sorry to end on such a downer…Jesus loves you! That is a little more hopeful!)

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27