Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter. All of the epistles in the New Testament are about sanctification teaching. You will remember that justification is a one time event in the life of the believer in the Lord Jesus. Our justification is based solely on the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. To be justified before God is to be pronounced by Him totally forgiven.
Sanctification, on the other hand, is a process whereby God is changing our souls from the inside out. Through this lifelong process God delivers us from the power of sin by inculcating His culture into us. He inculcates His culture in our souls through His word and His Spirit. The end result of this process is that our souls which are made up of our minds, wills and emotions are being actively informed by God's definitions of all things.
Up to this point in this first epistle of Peter, all the verbs are in the indicative mode; that is they state fact. In today's verse it changes and now the Apostle employs imperatives which are commands. This approach dovetails with the goal of all New Testament epistles in the life of the believer in Christ.
Today's verse begins with the word "therefore" which is an adverb that denotes a result or a consequence. Here, the Apostle was pointing out to his readers the consequential result of all he had written about up til that point in the letter. The Apostle Peter couches today's verse in two participles which are best translated: "having alerted your minds for action, and remaining serious-minded."
With the inclusion of the words "fully sober" the Apostle was addressing the need to be clear-minded. This clear-mindedness carries with it spiritual steadfastness, having self-control, and balanced priorities. This one Greek word describes a disciplined mind that is not intoxicated by the allurements of this world. Peter wrote this admonition because our adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking anyone weak enough that he may possibly devour. This spiritual alertness enables us to see the ultimate realities causing us to be invested in the eternal. This is the thrust of this verse.
The Greek word that Peter uses for "hope" is best translated "a confident expectation." Hope is faith projected out into the future. It suggests an attitude of optimism based upon one's experience with seeing God's faithfulness over time. Peter is calling us to hope because it glorifies God. When we truly trust God for the future, we will affirm by that trusting that God is trustworthy. And, when we trust Him that brings Him glory. When we do not trust God, we do not bring Him glory.
In Proverbs 23:7 we read, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." In other words, what we believe determines how we behave; what we think determines what we do. If we walk in the darkness in our minds, we will walk in the darkness in real life. It all begins and ends in the mind which is one third of what makes up our souls.
The foundation of all our choices should be the Word of God. So, Peter says the first step toward the kind of life that has the vantage point of eternity comes on the heels of discovering what God's Word says about a given subject. This is what keeps us secure and strong. When everything else is falling down around us, we must get back to the one thing we know is true, the Word of God. Then, we will be guided in our thinking by the truth. When we are grounded in and by the word of God, we will be able to move forward even while being knocked about by this evil world.
Today's verse ends with the words: "...when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." This is a reference to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth. Unlike His first coming when He came as the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world, at His Second Coming the Lord Jesus will come as the conquering lion who will deal with the ever increasing evil in this world. At His Second Coming there will be a sharp sword in the mouth of the Lord Jesus.
The sword in the mouth of the Lord Jesus is analogous of the Word of God. Those who responded affirmatively to His Word during and after His first coming will have no need to fear His Word at His Second Coming. But, those who did not respond to His Word in the affirmative before and after His first coming will will be judged by His word at His Second Coming. This is why today's verse is so important. As we respond affirmatively to God's Word, we will be positioned to help others to come to faith in the Lord Jesus before it is too late.
