Living a life of hope, holiness,
reverence and love in a broken
world
1 Peter 1:13-2:3
Background
• “You have had enough in the past of the evil
things that godless people enjoy-- their
immorality and lust, their feasting and
drunkenness and wild parties, and their
terrible worship of idols” (1Pe 4:3 NLT).
Believers face:
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various trials (1Pe 1:6); many trials (NLT)
dishonest/unjust (1Pe 2:18), masters/employers
hardships in suffering unjustly (2:19) in society
difficulties with disobedient husbands (3:1) in our
families
• suffering for doing what is right (3:14) / for doing
good (3:17)
• slander (1Pe 4:4 NLT)
Believers face:
• the fiery trial [that] comes upon us… to test
[us] (1Pe 4:12 ESV) personally
• insult for the name of Christ (4:14)
• suffering as a Christian (4:16)
• judgment in the house of God (4:17)
• suffering according to the will of God (4:19)
• the same kinds of suffering as our brothers
and sisters throughout the world (5:9)
The good news!
• And through your faith, God is protecting you by
his power until you receive this salvation, which is
ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see
(1Pe 1:5 NLT)
• And, after you have suffered for a little while, the
God of all grace who called you to his eternal
glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you (1Pe 5:10 NET).
• For I consider that our present sufferings cannot
even be compared to the glory that will be
revealed to us (Rom 8:18 NET)
Message statement:
• In the midst of suffering and the assurance of
God’s best which is yet to come, believers
should live, in the hope of the grace at Christ’s
coming (1:13), a holy life (1:14-16), in
reference/fear (1:17-21), a life of love (1:2225) and a God desiring life (2:1-3).
Live in the hope of Christ’s coming (1
Pet. 1:13)
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and
being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the
grace that will be brought to you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ. (1Pe 1:13 ESV)
Because of the future grace that will be brought to
you when Jesus Christ is revealed (v. 13)
1. Therefore: Get your mind ready for action + be
fully sober
2. Set your hope on the grace (the active love gift
of God, a keyword for Peter: 1:2, 10; 2:19–20;
3:7; 4:10; 5:5, 10, 12)
Live a holy life because God’s Word
says so (vv. 14-16)
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the
passions of your former ignorance, but as he who
called you is holy, you also be holy in all your
conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I
am holy.“ (1 Pet. 1:14-16)
Hagios = “pertaining to being dedicated or
consecrated to the service of God” (BDAG).
1. do not comply with the evil (v. 14)
2. become holy yourselves in all of your conduct (v.
15), imitate God: because he is holy (v. 16)
Live in reverence (1:17-21)
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially
according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with
fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you
were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your
forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or
gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a
lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before
the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the
last times for the sake of you who through him are
believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave
him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Live in reverence (1:17-21)
“Live reverently or in terror? There is a kind of
fear that does not contradict confidence. A
confident driver also possesses a healthy fear of
an accident that prevents him from doing
anything foolish” (NAC)
Live in reverence (1:17-21)
1. Because the Father is the impartial judge
(v. 17)
2. Because Christ paid (vv. 18-19)
i. To ransom us from our empty way of
life (v. 18)
ii. With his precious blood (v. 19)
Live in reverence (1:17-21)
3. Because Christ (vv. 20-21)
i. was foreknown before the foundation of
the world (v. 20)
ii. was manifested in these last times (v. 20b)
iii. was raised from the dead (v. 21)
iv. was given glory (v. 21)
v. made us now to trust in God... our faith
and hope are in God
Live a life of love (1 Pet. 1:22-25)
Having purified your souls by your obedience to
the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one
another earnestly from a pure heart, since you
have been born again, not of perishable seed but
of imperishable, through the living and abiding
word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its
glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers,
and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord
remains forever." And this word is the good news
that was preached to you.
Live a life of love (1 Pet. 1:22-25)
1. Show sincere mutual love (v. 22)
2. love one another earnestly from a pure heart
(v. 22)
3. You can do that because you were born anew
… through the word of God (v. 23-25)
i. It is imperishable seed (v. 23)
ii. It is living and enduring (v. 23)
iii. It endures forever and it was proclaimed to
us (v. 25)
Live a God desiring live (2:1-3)
So put away all malice and all deceit and
hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn
infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it
you may grow up into salvation-- if indeed you
have tasted that the Lord is good.
Live a God desiring life (2:1-3)
“So that ... you may grow up to salvation” (v. 2=1:5) “now
that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (v. 3, NIV)
1. Get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and
envy and all slander (v. 1).
2. Yearn … for pure, spiritual milk (v. 2). “It can be
understood to represent divine mercy or grace as
easily as divine life… In light of 1:25 there can be
no doubt that the medium by which the milk is
received is the proclaimed message of the gospel,
but the milk itself is more appropriately
interpreted as the sustaining life of God given in
mercy to his children.” (WBC)
Message statement:
In the midst of suffering in a broken world and
the blessed assurance of God’s best which is yet
to come, believers are called to make a
difference by living:
• in the hope of Christ’s coming (1:13);
• a holy life (1:14-16),
• in reference/fear (1:17-21),
• a life of love (1:22-25)
• a God desiring life (2:1-3).