III. A Call to Holy Living and Spiritual Growth (1 Peter 1:13–2:3)

III. A Call to Holy Living and Spiritual Growth (1:13–2:3)

1:13-16 Becoming a Christian is a call to action. That’s why Peter tells them to have their minds ready for action and to set their hope on the grace they will receive at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:13). Notice that here too how these believers function now is determined by what they know about the future. If you don’t want to live a defeated life, you must roll up the sleeves of your mind and determine to focus on Christ. God won’t make up your mind for you. What action does Peter call them to take? They are not to follow their former desires when they were ignorant of Christ (1:14). Instead, they are to be holy in all [their] conduct (1:15) Why? Peter quotes God who said, Be holy, because I am holy (1:16; see Lev 11:44-45).

Indeed, God is holy, which means, “separate” or “set apart.” He is distinct from his creation, unstained by sin, and is the standard of righteousness. Holiness is central to who God is. He is never described in the Bible as “love, love, love” or “sovereign, sovereign, sovereign.” But the angelic beings emphasize that he is “holy, holy, holy” (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8). Therefore, his love is a holy love; his sovereignty is a holy sovereignty. God’s perfect holiness is at the heart of his other attributes. Everything about him is in a class by itself. And he calls his people to pursue holiness by seeking to please him in every dimension of their lives.

1:17 Those who come to God through Jesus address him as Father and are to conduct themselves in reverence for God by taking him seriously. God expects his kingdom kids to look like him. Since he is holy, we are to be holy. Non-Christians should be viewing you as a little strange because you’re seeking to conform to God’s standards and not to the world’s.

1:18-21 Peter urges Christ’s followers to live in holiness and fear because the Lord has redeemed them (1:18-19). To redeem is to pay a price to set someone free. For instance, slaves could be redeemed (see, e.g., Lev 25:47-49). God “redeemed” Israel from slavery in Egypt (Deut 24:18) and was called their “Redeemer” (Isa 41:14; 44:6; 47:4).

What did it cost to free you from slavery to sin? Not silver or gold but something much more valuable: the precious blood of Christ (1:18-19). Why? Well, if you and I are both stuck in a ditch, we can’t help each other. We need someone who’s not in the ditch. Sinners can’t redeem other sinners. Under Israel’s sacrificial system, to atone for sin you had to offer an unblemished and spotless lamb (1:19). But that was not a once-and-for-all offering. Jesus Christ, however, is the perfect Lamb of God (see John 1:29). He was without sin (see 1 Pet 2:22), so he could serve as a perfect Savior.

When the Bible talks about the shedding of blood, it means the losing of life because “the blood is the life” (Deut 12:23). Our holy God demanded a price for sin, and he met his own demands through the sacrificial death of his Son who redeemed us from slavery to sin.

If you’ve been redeemed, you’re no longer your own. You have a new allegiance. This was God’s plan before the foundation of the world (1:20). He redeemed sinners through Christ, raised him from the dead and gave him glory. We have been transferred from slavery to the glorious kingdom of Christ, so our faith and hope are in God (1:21). He will keep his word to deliver and reward his people.

1:22-25 Peter urges his audience to have sincere brotherly love for their Christian brothers and sisters (1:22). How can those who were formerly slaves to sin be holy, fear the Lord, and love others? Because they have been born again. If you have believed in Jesus Christ, you received a seed (i.e., the divine nature; see 2 Pet 1:4) that is imperishable (which means believers cannot lose their salvation). God sparked life in you where once there was death, and he did it through the living and enduring word (1:23). As Isaiah said, the grass withers and dies, but the word of the Lord endures forever (1:24-25; see Isa 40:6-8).

2:1-3 Although this new life is imperishable, it requires growth. Our sinful self-centeredness will continue to rule if we let it, unless the seed of spiritual life is nourished. How do we ensure maturity? If we want to be physically healthy, we must feed our bodies what is nutritious, while avoiding what is unwholesome. The same principle is true in the spiritual realm.

Therefore, Peter says, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander (2:1). Such actions belong to the former life of sin, but they lead to death (i.e., separation from fellowship with God). Returning to the metaphor of new life (“born again,” “seed” 1:23), he exhorts them to be like newborn infants and desire the pure milk of the word so they may grow for salvation (2:2). The Word that caused us to be born again is the same Word that causes growth (2:2). But, unfortunately, many Christians choose malnourishment.

You don’t have to command babies to eat; they know when they’re hungry. Christians must be reminded that they are spiritually hungry and must be fed. You also won’t find infants consuming big meals on Sunday in order to last them the whole week. Babies eat regularly for day-to-day nourishment; Christians need the same. Some believers are consuming spiritual junk food that can’t nourish and won’t produce growth. They need a steady diet and application of God’s Word instead of man’s opinion. Once we taste for ourselves that the Lord is good (2:3), we’ll know that nothing else will satisfy.