I’ve been working my way through 1 Peter, and while I’m not going to blog about each and every verse in the book, I will target the parts of the book that have impacted me and will share what I have learned.  I’ll look into what the Scripture is saying, as well as how to apply it to our own lives. These next few blogs will be a little longer than usual, but I hope that you will commit to studying through 1 Peter with me!  

WHEN IT COMES TO BIBLE STUDY, WE LEARN IT TO LIVE IT!

The first passage I’m gonna look at is 1 Peter 1:13-15.  Ready?  Ok!  Here we go!!

“13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, 
keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace 
to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to 
the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 
15 but like the Holy One who called you,
be holy yourselves also in all your behavior”
~~1 Peter 1:13-15~~

As I looked at this passage, what I saw was a list of “do’s” and a “don’t”.  I’d like to tackle this passage that way.  

THE LIST OF “DO’S”

NUMBER ONE:  PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION.  

The word prepare in the Greek language is <anazōnnymi> and it is in the participle mood. (I like to call a participle an “-ing” word because it’s something you keep on do-ING)  The definition of <anazōnnymi> means to gird afresh or to gird up.  Because “gird up” isn’t something commonly said these days (haha), I needed to look it up to be sure I understood what it meant.  To ”gird” something can mean: to encircle or bind with a flexible band (such as a belt); to make something fast or secure; to prepare for action; to muster up one’s resources.  

• PAUSE TO PONDER the phrases “to prepare for action” and “to muster up one’s resources”.   If preparing my mind for action includes mustering up my mind’s resources, then what I put into my mind is vital.  If my mind is full of my own thoughts and feelings, or full of whatever the culture is putting out there, I’m gonna be toast when my mind is called to action  But if my mind is full of God’s Word, then the resources I am mustering up will actually serve me well in the spiritual battle I am engaging in.   

<Anazōnnymi> is to gird ”afresh”.  Afresh means: from a new beginning; again.  We serve a God of “second chances” (and third, and fourth….).  When we fail (and notice I said “when”, not “if”), His mercies are new every morning.  Praise His Name!!!

Now that we get the gist of “prepare”, let’s look at the phrase minds for action <dianoia>.  It is speaking of the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring.  

• PAUSE TO PONDER what all that encompasses.  My understanding is what my mind processes, how I think.  My feeling represents my susceptibility to impression – my impressionability.  My desiring is what my heart and emotions long for – what I want.  Take a moment for some self-examination. 
  • How are you doing when it comes to how you process things? 
  • Do you seek out God’s perspective in situations, or do you allow your feelings to run the show? 
  • Do feelings have feelings or do feelings have you? 
  • What do you really desire? 
• Don’t be dishonest with yourself.  God already knows.  He can only work in the heart that is honest with Him.  

APPLYING IT:  “Prepare Your Minds for Action” means we must get rid of loose and sloppy thinking.  We have to bring the rational and reflective powers of our minds under control.  What and how we think can make or break us because everything we do flows from how we think (Proverbs 23:7).  We have to store up resources (memorize God’s word) and then control what we think about by taking every thought captive if it doesn’t align with God’s Word. (2 Corinthians 2:5). (Remember that when something is “ taken captive”, it doesn’t mean it no longer exists; it merely means it no longer has freedom to move about freely).   Only we, as individuals,  get to decide what to set our minds upon.  Here are some great guidelines when it comes to resources we muster up.  When you find yourself sitting in a thought or feeling, look at the verse below and see if it lines up with what God says we should think about.  If you’re interested in digging deeper into the definitions of those things, reach out to me.  I have a worksheet that can aid you in that.  

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, 
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 
~~Philippians 4:8~~

NUMBER TWO:  KEEP SOBER IN SPIRIT

Only one Greek word <nēphō> is used for this phrase and is in the participle mood (it’s an “-ing” word). <Nēphō> means to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.  Let’s look at each of those words individually to see what God is saying.  

• Sober – Aside from not getting intoxicated, the sober person’s life is marked by an earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor.  They are calmly unhurried.  The sober person shows no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice. 
• Calm – The calm person is marked by a state of tranquility, and I don’t mean the “oooooohhhhmmmm” kind of tranquility, but rather the kind tranquility that comes with the peace Jesus gives. (John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”)
• Collected – The collected person is gathered together (that makes me think of “gathering my wits” – To try to calm oneself and think clearly and rationally). The collected person possess calmness and composure through concentrated effort.  (When I think of “keeping my composure”, I think of being free from agitation.)  
• Temperate – The person who is temperate is marked by moderation.  They keep to the proper limits.  They aren’t extreme or excessive in appetite or in desire. For example: If they’re going to have alcohol, they do so moderately.  
• Dispassionate – The dispassionate person is not influenced or affected by their emotions.  They can actually have a feeling without the feeling having them.
• Circumspect –  A person who is circumspect thinks carefully about possible risks before doing or saying something.  They are the kind of person who chooses to respond to things that come into their lives, they don’t react.  Reaction is immediate.  Response requires circumspection.  

APPLYING IT:   “Keep sober in spirit” describes a condition free from every form of mental and spiritual loss of self-control.  It is an attitude of self-discipline that avoids the extremes” (Hiebert).  Take a moment to quiet your spirit and really do some self examination.  How does your life align with the definitions above?  If you’re like me, I had a lot of “ouch” and “guilty as charged” going on.  Thank God for new mercies every day!!

NUMBER THREE:  FIX YOUR HOPE COMPLETE ON THE GRACE TO BE BROUGHT

<Elpizō> is the Greek word for “fix your hope” and it is used in this phrase in the imperative voice.  It is a command to direct hope towards something.  In this phrase it refers to how we wait with joy and full confidence in the grace that Jesus extends to us and will extend to us when He returns.    

So <elpizō> tells us what to do – fix our hope, and <teleiōs> tells us how we do it.  We fix our hope completely – to the end without wavering.  Mr. Webster defines “wavering”: to go back and forth between choices or opinions; to be uncertain about what you think about something or someone; to move back and forth in an unsteady way; to become unsteady because of weakness, emotion, tiredness, etc.

The last part of that phrase – “to be brought” <pherō> means to move to, apply; a thing is being offered.  The absolutely coolest thing about this phrase is that it is in the passive voice (we are the receiver) and the participle mood (it’s an “-ing” word.  It’s a continual, on-going action.)

APPLYING IT:  Do you realize exactly what this phrase is saying!!?  It is literally saying “in joy and full confidence, without wavering in doubt or human reasoning, focus your mind on the fact that grace “is being brought” to you, both now AND when Jesus returns.  

PAUSE TO PONDER how this phrase ties back into the previous phrase “be sober in spirit” (to not be influenced or affected by emotions).  It’s like Peter first telling us what to do – “be sober in spirit” and then explaining how to do it in this phrase – “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought”.  

NUMBER FIVE:   “…BE HOLY YOURSELVES ALSO IN ALL YOUR BEHAVIOR.” 
(“like the Holy One who called you…)

The little word “be” <ginomai> holds so much!!  Check it out!  First of all, it’s in the passive voice (we’re the receiver), and the imperative mood (it’s a command).  So God is telling us that we are commanded to allow the Holy Spirit to make us “holy”.  That makes me think of the passage in Ephesians 4:30 that tells us “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]” (Amplified Version).  

So with that being said, we are commanded to be the receiver of “holy” – <hagios> which means: in a moral sense, pure, upright, and holy.  Let’s dig into those definitions and see what God has to teach us.  

• Pure  – if something is pure, it is not mixed with anything else.  It is free from what would make it less effective.  It is free from what spoils, weakens, or pollutes it.  If something is pure, it contains nothing that does not properly belong.  
• Upright – Someone who is upright is always behaving in an honest way, having high moral standards.  For example, they don’t cheat in order to pay less taxes.  They return money when they are given too much change.  When they are being paid for 8 hours of work, they don’t take a long lunch and then sneak out of work early.  
• Holy – If someone is holy, they are devoted (loyal and sincere) to God and His work.  A holy person’s life is marked by having reverence for God and having devotion to the worship of Him.  Consider the word “loyal”.   If I am loyal, I don’t say one thing to your face and then another behind your back.  If I am loyal, I stand up for you if someone else is dissing you.  If I am loyal, no one can change my mind about how I feel about you.  Now consider the word “sincere”.  If I am sincere, I don’t flatter; I mean what I say.  If I am sincere, I’m not fake; I’m the same everywhere I go.  If I’m sincere, I am genuine; my walk and talk are the same.  If I’m sincere, I am pure (nothing mixed in that doesn’t belong).  

Now that we have a grasp on “holy”,  let’s take a look at the Greek word for “behavior” –  <anastrophē>.  It means your manner of life – your behavior, your conduct.  

• Behavior – anything that a person does involving action and response to stimulation; the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment; to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way; to conduct (oneself) in a proper manner
• Conduct – the act, manner, or process of carrying on; management; a mode or standard of personal behavior especially as based on moral principles

APPLYING IT:  Holy behavior includes your actions and reactions, your purposes and your plans.  Holy behavior is revealed by what you choose to allow in your life and what you choose to keep out of your life.  Holy behavior reflects the fact that your entire life’s focus isn’t “self” but God.  

“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, 
to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, 
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 
by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove 
what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
~~Romans 12:1-2~~

That passage is the perfect segue into the one “don’t” of our focus passage.  

THE DON’T

As obedient children, DO NOT BE CONFORMED to the former lusts 
which were yours in your ignorance

My mind is racing right now.  Haha  First, I think of Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children”.  The picture in my mind is how my grandson will sit with me in church on Sunday mornings and he mimics what I’m doing.  Sermon handout ready.  Pen in hand.  Legs crossed.  He does it all as a “dearly loved child” of his Baba.  I love that! The second thing that came to mind is how Isaac was an obedient child as he allowed Abraham to tie him up and place him on the altar as a sacrifice.  He trusted his father and was obedient to his command.  

In the Greek language, the word used for “obedient” is <hypakoē> and it means obedience, compliance, submission.  Let’s look at each of those.

• Obedience – The obedient person follows the commands or guidance of someone.  They conform to or comply with the standards set for them.
• Compliance – If I am compliant, I choose to do what I have been asked or ordered to do (remember that “be holy” is a command, not a suggestion).  If I am compliant, my disposition is to yield.  Consider “disposition” for a moment.  A person’s disposition is their tendency to act in a certain manner under given circumstances.  That lends itself to being “internal” before being displayed on the  “external”.  
• Submission – The submissive person is obedient.  The submissive person accepts the authority of someone else.  

Do not be conformed <syschēmatizō> means to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern, (fashion one’s self according to).  Did ya catch that?  It said, mind and character.  I’ll bet that’s why Peter’s first “do” was “prepare your minds for action” (wink wink).  It’s like we’ve now come full circle. 

If we are going to behave differently, we have to think differently.  If we’re going to behave in a manner of holiness, we have to think thoughts that reflect holiness.  

The Christian life is lived from the inside out.  

One more thing before we wrap this up.  PAUSE TO PONDER the word “pattern”.  I remember in high school going to Joann Fabrics and buying a pattern and some material to make a skirt.  How much sense would it have made if I had the pattern, yet did my own thing when it came to cutting out and sewing the material together?  Would I have had a skirt that looked like the one on the pattern sleeve??  That’d be a hard no!  Well, it’s the same spiritually.  If God tells me to be holy “like the Holy One who called” me is holy, then I have to follow the pattern He gave me – Jesus and His Word (John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.”).  

There’s been a lot to consider in this passage.  I really hope that you didn’t just read it, but allowed the truths of Scripture to read you.  Remember the one-liner that kicked off this initial entry as we make our way through 1 Peter?? 

When it comes to Bible study, we learn it to live it!