Five Commands to Victory

Sometimes boiling down a scripture into points helps us understand and apply the word of God. Here’s a great example:

1 Peter 1:13–15 (ESV) — 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Before we consider the five points, which are commands, we need to address the “therefore” to grasp what it is there for, so we need to back up to what has been said.

Peter has outlined the great salvation we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, in which we rejoice, even when we face trials of various kinds, knowing that if those trials were not necessary, they wouldn’t be. But they are necessary for our sanctification, which is to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we pick up Peter’s admonition regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel:

1 Peter 1:8–12 (ESV) — 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Now we know the reason behind the “therefore.” Let’s look at the five commands that come from that thought.

Prepare your minds for action. The KJV says, “gird up the loins of your mind.” The thought behind that translation is to run as if you were wearing a robe – the person who wore a robe would have to gather up the robe so as not to trip. Likewise, to avoid tripping through life, we need to prepare our minds.

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV) — 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Be sober minded. The call is to take the things of God seriously. It’s easy to fall into “casual Christianity” and not take things as serious. A drunken person lacks self-control, is not alert, and tends to make light of everything. Therefore, the call to be sober minded, is a call for self-control, to remain alert, and to be serious.

Philippians 4:5 (ESV) — 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Our hope or “earnest expectation” of something is positive because God has promised, but it’s just not yet. Therefore, instead of being tossed here and there in life, we set our focus on what God has promised, namely the sure return or second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 6:17–20 (ESV) — 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. To avoid being conformed to the image of the world, we are called to make a conscientious effort to make sure we are not. Consider again the call in Romans 12:1-2.

As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. A call for holy living is very often scoffed by Christians who feel we should focus on Christian liberty rather than a call for holiness. Consider how people of the past poked at people who sought to live a holy life by adhering to the word of God in all aspects of life by calling them “Puritans.”

Please notice the reminder Peter gives regarding living a holy life.

1 Peter 1:16 (ESV) — 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus 20:7 (ESV) — 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19:2 (ESV) — 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Of course, the call for holiness, although referenced to the Old Testament is very much a New Testament subject as well. In fact, as Paul writes his instruction for living in Titus 2, you can see it looks very similar to the five commands from 1^st Peter.

Titus 2:11–14 (ESV) — 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

These five commands are not options and not suggestions, these are keys to living a victorious Christian life in the power of the Spirit to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Godspeed,

Bob Brubaker, Pastor

Christ Community Presbyterian Church

Clearwater, FL