Hope In Exile | Called To Be Holy – 1 Peter 1:13-25
We can live holy lives and love one another because Jesus Christ is holy and loves us first.
As 1 Peter continues, we get to the main thrust of the letter. In the previous section, Peter lays down the foundation of his argument that the people of God have been called to join the body of Christ through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We join the saints of old and come together regardless of our background. Now, Peter lays down the main thrust of his argument in the letter. The people of God found themselves in exile, living in a foreign land as a foreign people. Yet, even more than being an exile, they are an elect chosen people of God who have a temporary home looking towards the future eternal glory that is our inheritance in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the church as the people of God is to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the calling they have received according to the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Peter calls the recipients of the letter to live a life of holiness built on the foundation of the work of Jesus Christ. Living in exile would not be easy for the believers but their status as elect would far surpass whatever pain they might endure. The follower of Jesus Christ is called to live holy just as the Lord is Holy. The foundation for our lives is not one that builds on the cultural and societal pressure but one that lives above those things. When we come to Christ, we turn our backs on the former passions we once held dear and take hold of the life lived according to the riches and the glory of God. We know that Christ is our King and He loves us and causes us to love one another.
Former Passions and Deeds
Previously, apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, our passions and desires sought the things of this world. Our desires had no conflict with the things of this world. We thought like the world thought, we acted like the world did, fitting in completely without any contradiction. The sinful life that marks a world in rebellion against Jesus Christ, though, only leads to the death of those who do not abide in Jesus Christ. Now, in exile, the church found themselves confronted with the world that still lived according to the ways contrary to Jesus Christ. They are ignorant of their sin and ignorant of the salvation that comes through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Living in exile will temp a person to return again to the ignorance of their former ways. From their exile, the people of God will be treated with disdain, ostracized, and rejected. There would be times of hunger, pain, and sadness in the continual feeling of not having a home. Peter, though, implores them to not give in to the temporary pleasure of giving in to the flesh to set their eyes on the eternal inheritance that they would receive as they abide in Christ. The people do not belong to the world any more. To continue to follow the ways of this world would be to embrace the ignorance and take hold of a lesser price at the expense of releasing the greater.
The standards of the world will appear tempting from time to time. We may see people advance in their life, career, and various other means. We will see their inclusion in various aspects of society as followers of Christ become persecuted for rejecting the ways of the world. Yet, in faith, we know that our prize and our inheritance as we abide in Christ is far greater than anything the world may be able to offer. No matter the pressure, no matter the temporary measure, returning to the ways of our former self would be a rejection of the gift of grace from Jesus Christ. God judges according to our works and our ways. Those in Christ have the works of Christ imputed to them as their own and as we stand with Christ we stand in the life that He provides.
- What reasons does Peter give to not return to the former ways of ignorance?
Before The Foundation of the World
The call of the elect in exile is not to simply not do the things we once did, but a much greater and grander calling. The life of the Christian is not one of a lack of sin but a life marked by holiness. This life can only be found because Jesus Christ earns it on our behalf. No one is able to do good apart from the grace of God and we can only be holy because Jesus Christ is holy first. In Him, as the eternally existing God. A fulfilled and abundant life can only be found at the source of all life, in Jesus Christ. Everything exists in Him as the God who took on flesh and came to live with mankind to draw His people to Himself and provide for them an eternal inheritance. He is forever begotten by the Father and will rule and reign on the throne forever.
On our own, we are unable to produce any form of holiness. Yet, in Christ, a path to obedience has been paved on our behalf. Once we had been unable to do any good. Jesus though, had been known and loved before the foundations of the earth, before time began. The plan had always been for people to be returned to life through the redemption that comes from Jesus Christ. Before time began, Jesus Christ set down the foundation for salvation in Himself. He is the source of life and all who come to Him find themselves able to do good and life an abundant life. When we see the foreknowledge of God and love before the foundation of the world we see the plan of a supreme God who works all things for the good of those who follow Him. He is the supreme God who never fails, always perseverances, and will not be conquered even by our best efforts.
- What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the beloved before the foundations of the earth?
Love One Another
Now, our response to living according to the love that comes from being in Christ is that we love one another. The marker of the one in Christ comes through the sacrificial love for one another. Peter’s quotation of Isaiah 40 reveals the temporal nature of the flesh and the endurance of the word of God. Flesh and this world will ultimately pass. Yet, we will one day give an account for what we did with the time we have been given. Our old life, the one that fits in with the world around us, will be marked by selfish pursuit of gain that will one day perish alongside us. Our new life will store up treasures in heaven as we show the love of God to those we meet. In a world that chooses to strike and alienate the follower of Christ, the response to persecution, no matter how big and how unjust, will be to love the unloveable, just as Christ did for us.
We can love others because God first loved us. Our love is an extension of the love of God moving in us and through us. When we consider the amount of grace and love that God lavished upon us, we can extend that same grace and love to others. That is precisely why a life that is rooted in the Gospel and rooted in the work of Jesus Christ will automatically reflect the love of God. We love the body of Christ because Christ loved us first. We love the world because God loved the world enough to give of Himself for our benefit and to His glory.
- How does Peter connect the love of God with the love for one another?
Discussion Questions
- Describe the progression of the Christian from the old person to the new person? What is the turning point for each individual?
- How is the deity and perfection of Jesus Christ described in this passage?
- What are the things that you have had to turn your back on, the former things done in ignorance, in order to follow Jesus Christ? What difference has this made in your life?
- Where have you experienced the love of God in your life? In what ways has this impacted your life and helped you to love others?
- What are some of the barriers we seem to face in loving one another? How does Jesus Christ help us to overcome these barriers.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
