I Peter 1:17-25

Count the cost

Scripture reading –

Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Pray

Intro

√ A holy life.

In our study last week we found that Peter began a series of instructions, practical ways that the Christian can live a…

…holy life!

These instructions are necessary because we’ve found in our Christian experience that we are often still tempted to sin?

In fact, some of you aren’t just tempted, you’re already sinning, then grieving over your sin and finally repenting…

…only to do it all over again in what seems to be an endless cycle of defeat?

Friends listen, if you want to get off that cycle of destructive behavior then you need to put into practice the instructions, which Peter gives us here.

√ Remember, there’s no magic formula

Rather, God’s work of holiness in our life is a cooperative effort between you and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will not violate your free will. Rather, as a Christian you have the choice each moment to work with, or against the Spirit of God as He works to transform you to be like Jesus.

The good news however is that if you will do what Peter tells us to do…

…you’ll find the power to live a holy life!

So, what is Peter’s instruction for holy living?

Last week - Prepare your mind

This morning - Count the cost

Let’s look!

Think what this sin will cost you (vs. 17)

1Pet. 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

√ Fear the Judge!

Peter’s instructions to those who struggle to live a holy life include this…

…remember Who it is that will judge our behavior.

God!

The point, Peter reminds us that God is perfectly fair in His judgement of people and that no one does anything that He doesn’t see.

Therefore, before you sin…

…count the cost.

The Cost? Yeah, the cost. You’re going to have to stand in front of a perfect, holy, judge, who has…

Seen everything you’ve ever done.

Heard everything you’ve ever said.

Knows everything you’ve ever thought.

…this Judge will hold you accountable for all of it. Are you willing to pay that price?

Reminds me of John’s vision of Jesus in the Revelation…

Rev. 1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

“His eyes like a flame of fire;”

Can you picture that! The symbolic vision speaks of His searching righteousness and divine judgement of all that is impure.

That is, in the gaze of Christ there is no evil thing that can be hid; no secret sin, no false motive, no hate or bitterness of heart toward another. Nothing can be hidden from Him Who’s eyes are like a flame of fire.

Interesting parallel scripture...

Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

So, a person can’t hide behind Grace and use it as a shield to continue in sin.

You can’t fool God!

There’s no such thing as spiritual “fire insurance”! A person can’t put their faith in a prayer they prayed for salvation when in their heart they never really meant it…

…and had no intention of ever living a holy life.

Gal. 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Gal. 6: 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Peter’s point here, backed up by all the other scriptures we’ve looked at…

…is that knowing Whom God is and that nothing we do is hidden from Him should produce a healthy fear of God in our lives.

That fear helps to promote and maintain personal holiness.

2Co 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ap. If you’re struggling with temptation, or actually involved in a pattern of sin…

…you need to get a better understanding of Who it is that you’re sinning against!

A healthy fear of God is a great motivator to live a holy life because you’ll be thinking about what that sin would cost you.

Do you really want to have to give an account for your sin to the Judge of the universe?

That’s a price most people don’t want to pay!

Think about the price paid (vs. 18-21)

1Pet. 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

1Pet. 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

1Pet. 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

1Pet. 1:21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

√ The price that was paid

Note the word…

“redeemed”

…it means to ransom. That is, to pay for something, or someone.

Ex. Kidnappers and terrorists demand a ransom to free the hostage.

Ap. All of us were born slaves, hostages, to sin and Satan.

But whereas most kidnappers and terrorists are looking for cash, gold, etc. – Peter tells us that these things were not used to free us.

Rather, we were freed by the precious blood of Christ.

Paul reminded the Christians at Corinth of the same thing as they struggled with the temptation of sexual immorality.

1Cor. 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1Cor. 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

And, speaking to the Ephesian elders he reminded them…

Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

√ Consider the Price

Peter’s point, which we find, echoed by Paul, is that the Christian needs to consider the price that was paid to set him free.

Remember, we weren’t set free with gold, silver, material things.

If we were one could almost disregard that cost because you can always get more of it.

But, we were set free by the blood of Jesus – it cost Him His life to set us free!

“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Vs. 19

Peter uses the language of the Old Testament to describe the payment required to set us free.

Ex. The Passover Lamb

Each person had to place his or her hands on the head of their Passover lamb. When the priest cut the lamb’s throat the blood spilled all over you and you actually felt the lamb’s life slip away in your hands.

The result of that experience was that you never looked at sin the same way – always remembering that your sin has a price.

Ap. Think about Jesus on the Cross-the next time you’re tempted.

Recognize that your sin put Him there. See yourself holding a spike to His wrist and driving it between His bones into the wooden cross member. See the blood on your hands.

Watch as His life is drained away and remember that your sin put Him there.

You’ll never look at sin the same way – always remembering that your sin has a price.

The result, your conscience will be stirred and you’ll find that when you really consider the price that Jesus paid to set you free…

…you can’t sin because it doesn’t look as fun anymore – because every sin has a Victim!

√ Is the Blood of Jesus precious to you?

I think that one value of sharing communion on a regular basis is that it softens our hearts, which become hardened so easily to the holy life, which God has called us to.

Acts 2:42 – part of what makes a strong Christian!

Think about love (vs. 22)

1Pet. 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

√ Think about love

Peter’s next instruction is a call to love one another!?

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart”

Seems a bit of a jump in thought at first, but really, it fits with Peter’s previous instructions.

The subject – how to live a holy life in an unholy world.

Prepare your mind for the battle

Consider the Price of sin and holiness

…now Peter calls us to love one another with a sincere (pure) love and a pure heart.

Why?

Because he who truly loves his brother and sister will not sin against them!

Mat. 22:37 Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Mat. 22:38 “This is the first and great commandment.

Mat. 22:39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mat. 22:40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

You see, the first principle of God’s Law and of holiness is love. Not the selfish love promoted by the world…

…but true agape love which is others-centered.

Peter’s point, in our battle to live a holy life if we’ll let God’s perfect love be the our guide for our…

Thoughts

Speech

Actions

…then we’ll live a holy life because we wouldn’t want to do anything that would not be loving to others.

Ex. You’re tempted to walk out without paying for your meal

But, you chose not to because you recognize that someone has to pay for it. It may be that it’s your waitress who is a single mom struggling just to feed her kids. You walk out and how she has a $30 check she has to cover out of her wages.

Because you love her and her kids you chose not to rob her of her wages.

Ap. Look at any sin, they all have a victim. If you chose to love the people around you with God’s love then you’ll find that you won’t chose to sin against them. You’ll have victory over an unholy life.

Think about time (vs. 23-25)

1Pet. 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

1Pet. 1:24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,

1Pet. 1:25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word, which by the gospel was preached to you.

√ Think about eternity

Peter closes his thoughts on how it is that we can live a holy life by telling us to think about eternity!

You see, our body will not last forever. The body that our soul is housed in is not made for eternity.

Rather, it is just a temporary dwelling for our soul so that we can interact in this material world.

Knowing that, why then should we use our brief time on earth to feed this temporary dwelling place with an unholy life style?

Ex. Rental car

You wouldn’t invest money in a new paint job, a modified motor and suspension, etc.! Because you’re only going to have it for a short time.

If you did, people would rightly conclude that you were mad! Why? Because it’s only yours temporarily.

Ap. Your life

You’re only going to be using this body for a short time. However, your soul and spirit are eternal. Why then would you want to invest in what’s only temporary but will have eternal consequences!?

Ex. You life to please your flesh

Firstly, you’ll never succeed as your flesh cannot be satiated. Secondly, you’re wasting your time, talent and treasure because you’re investing in something (your body) that’s going to rot!

Ex. You live to please God

God will bless you both now and in eternity!

You’ll find joy and satisfaction in life

You’ll find that everything which sin promised is found in a holy life, not in an unholy life!

√ So then, Peter says that we ought to think about eternity when making choices about what we’re going to….

Think

Say

Do

Close

√ Holy living doesn’t happen by accident!

We’re called to…

Prepare our mind for battle

Consider the cost of sin

Think about eternity

Ap. If you’re struggling with temptation and sin

Chose this day to turn from sin and live a holy life!