An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a multi-word phrase.  For example, we might use the acronym “USA” instead of “United States of America.”  We use acronyms all the time.  Today, I want to start us off using the acronym “PDA.”  PDA, many years ago, stood for Personal Digital Assistant, like the Palm Pilot.  Those are no longer in use.  PDA can also stand for Public Display of Affection, such as hugging, kissing, and holding hands in public.  In some places, such affectionate displays are discouraged.  One final use of PDA is a medical term.  It is called Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy.  This form of PDA is one in which a person is driven to avoid or resist any instruction they receive.  We all probably had a touch of this form of PDA when we were two years old.  Tell a two-year-old what to do, and their response is almost automatically “No.”  Most people outgrow this form of PDA as they mature and find that some instructions are quite useful.  “Don’t touch that stove, it’s hot!” can become a very useful instruction to follow. 

I wanted to focus on PDA, Pathological Demand Avoidance, because it seems as though, spiritually, we humans have a touch of a two-year-old in us when it comes to instructions and imperatives from God.  In Genesis 2, we would read, “15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die’” (Genesis 2:15-17).  Well, I think we know that imperative to leave the fruit alone did not stand the test for very long before the man and woman avoided God’s instruction.  There are many such examples in the Bible, including Jesus healing people and telling them not to tell anyone who healed them.  In every case, the people ran and told others that Jesus healed them.  So, we can be spiritual toddlers having a touch of PDA or Pathological Demand Avoidance when it comes to Biblical instruction.

Knowing this is important because Peter’s letter to the Christians in Asia Minor has a sequence of imperatives or instructions.  The heart of Peter’s letter had four imperatives.

• Prepare your minds for action (1:13)
• Be holy in all your conduct (1:15)
• Conduct yourselves with fear (1:17)
• Love one another (1:22)

Over the past couple of weeks, we have looked at the first two imperatives: preparing our minds for action by setting our hope fully on the grace of God, and being holy in all our conduct.  As we have looked at Peter’s words concerning those imperatives, we can easily imagine many behaviors we could engage in that avoid preparing our minds and acting in ways that are not holy.  We avoid demands because we want to set our own course or to show others that we have autonomy.

And for today, I want us to look at Peter’s third imperative, “conduct yourselves with fear” (1 Peter 1:17).  Now in one sense, Peter’s instruction to these Christians from Asia Minor to conduct themselves fearfully was unnecessary.  These Christians were exiles who had no rights because of their faith and were being subjected to persecution.  They would naturally be concerned and fearful about their physical safety.  Therefore, the imperative “conduct yourselves with fear” must have a different context. To see that context, let’s look at the full verse.  Peter said this, “17And if you call on him [God] as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blook of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:17-19). We now see Peter’s imperative was to conduct yourselves with fear toward God the Father who serves as Judge.  The Greek word for fear is phobos, which, in this context, refers to respect and reverence for someone in a position of authority or rank, or who is very dignified.  Conduct yourselves with fear, great reverence and respect for God, the Father, who arranged your ransom, not with silver or gold, but with the blood of his own son, Jesus.  Peter used the same term, phobos, in Chapter 2, verse 18, when he wrote most simply, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear (respect).”  He did so again in Chapter 3, verse 2 when describing Christian women’s behavior toward their husbands as “respectful and pure conduct” (1 Peter 3:2).  Finally, Peter used phobos in Chapter 3, verse 15 when he said, “15 Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and (phobos) fear (respect)” (1 Peter 3:15).

          Using imperative language, Peter told Christians to have a measurable and evident phobos, a fear (respect and reverence) of God for two simple reasons.  First, God is the Judge of all, both the just and the unjust. It is never to anyone’s advantage to be disrespectful to a judge of any sort.  Not only is God a judge, but God is the Judge over all creation.  There is no appeal from God’s judgment.  So, having respect and reverence for God, the ultimate judge, is wise.  Second, God the Judge of all, Peter said, had established a single process for people to be found innocent before Him.  Peter wrote, “3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).  God said that belief in Jesus Christ means you will be born again into a new spiritual identity and thus freed from the sins of your former identity that would require conviction.  We might think of it as appearing before God the Judge with Jesus as our defense attorney only to hear God say, “If Jesus is your defender, then a trial is unnecessary because I find you “Not Guilty’.”  This was all due to God’s mercy, an undeserved pardon granted to us because of the work done by Christ upon the cross and our accepted of Jesus as Savior.  Peter’s imperative was “conduct yourselves with fear (respect and reverence) before God because He has granted you mercy.” 

Peter explained the significance of God’s mercy by recounting the story of Noah.  Peter said, “18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the waters” (1 Peter 3:18-20).  The message here was stark and severe.  Sin would be dealt with.  The story of Noah was that when God vowed to wipe away sin, only eight people were spared by God’s mercy.  As such, Christians ought to fear, respect, and revere God's power.

Peter’s chose imperatives to speak to this group of Christians.  Prepare your mind for action (1:13), be holy in all your conduct (1:15), and conduct yourselves with fear (1:17).  Those hearing Peter had a choice.  Do as Peter demanded or show their own autonomy and avoid Peter’s commands.  We cannot say what every Christian who heard Peter’s letter did in response, but we do know that early Christians in Asia Minor were persecuted for their faithfulness to God through Jesus Christ.

One Christian in particular, a man named Polycarp, exemplifies Peter's command in his letter.  Polycarp was part of the church in Smyrna, one of the seven churches cited in Revelation.  Smyrna is in modern-day Turkey, the very area Peter was considering in his letter. Around the year 160 AD, Polycarp, a church leader, was arrested for refusing to worship the emperor.  He was sentenced to death.  Just before his death, Polycarp said this, "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong.  How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked." Polycarp was burned at the stake and pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to the Roman emperor.  On his farewell, he said: "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ.” Polycarp understood that he would appear before God in judgment and therefore desired to approach the throne of God, the seat of Judgment, in a fearful way, showing great respect and reverence.

     Today, in the modern church, people do not like to hear words such as "judgment" and "fear". They are uncomfortable with such language because they do not think fear is the proper motivation to follow Jesus. They believe we should instead emphasize only that Jesus is a good example to follow.  There is, of course, nothing wrong with encouraging people to follow the example of Jesus.  I do that all the time.  But saying “Follow Jesus” is an incomplete thought.  Jesus is a good example to follow, and He loves us, but He is, first and foremost, our Savior.  There is no Savior needed for our lives if we live without fear or judgment.  If you approach someone on the street and say, "Jesus loves you, and he is a good example to follow; call Him 'Your Savior and you will be born again,” it is not exactly clear what Jesus would be saving them from.  There is no imperative calling people to act urgently.  Now ask a person drowning in a lake if they would like help; they would understand the need for someone to save them urgently.  Suggesting to them that they would be in a better position if they followed Michael Phelps's example in swimming would not do much for them in that moment.  Fear and judgment are essential parts of the Christian witness and experience, and we should not avoid conversation about them.  The thief on the cross understood this principle.  The thief professed his belief in Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him.  Jesus told the thief that they would be together in paradise, heaven itself the dwelling place of God.  The thief understood God’s judgment was coming upon him, and he saw Jesus as his Savior, not a lifestyle example to follow.

Perhaps you do not believe me.  Maybe listening to Jesus would help.  Jesus said, “28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).  Read simply, “Fear God,” for He has the power over all life, mortal and eternal.  Jesus told this same truth in a parable we now call the “Parable of the Wicked Servant.”  Jesus said a king said the time has come to settle accounts—judgment time. One servant owed the king 10,000 bags of gold, a sum that could never be repaid.  The king ordered everything the man owned, including his family, to be sold. The servant, fearing the king’s judgment, begged the king for more time.  The king knew more time would not change the situation.  Instead, the king forgave the servant's debt and set him free. This is mercy granted by a savior. Jesus said this same servant then found a man who owed him a small amount of money.  Instead of forgiving the man his small debt, the servant sent the man to prison.  Upon hearing this news, the king found that wicked servant, reinstated his massive, unpayable debt, and sent him to be tortured until the debt was paid.  The servant who had feared the king’s judgment did not fear the king.  The servant did not see and treat the king as his savior, so the reprieve from judgment was only temporary, and now, because he did not conduct himself with fear, the judgment became permanent.  Jesus said, “Fear the Lord your God.” 

Many Christians have a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) toward fearing God.  Why is that? It stems from two ideas.  First, as we have already spoken about, too many people think of Jesus as primarily their friend, not foremost their Savior. Secondly, too many people are focused on what they do and what they have accomplished, rather than on what God has accomplished.  This is the selfie thinking.  You see this all the time on social media – people take photos of the self in front of the canyon, rather than the canyon. Our society has lost sight of the canyon because we are too self-absorbed.  That self-absorption leads to ignorance about God.  And so, many Christians pathologically avoid the demand to fear God because it would conflict with their sense of autonomy.

Proverbs 9:10 said quite memorably, “10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).  Fear of God is necessary for us to understand the salvation God has granted us in His mercy through the blood of His own Son, Jesus.  Fear that genuinely evidences itself in respect and reverence should result in a change in our conduct towards God and towards one another.  For this reason, Peter instructed the exiles, “Conduct yourself with fear.”  Peter’s words were and remain a call to Christians to get and keep their priorities straight.  This is essentially the message from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5, verse 2, “2Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).  I think Peter summed this thought up well when he said, “Conduct yourself with fear.” Let us not avoid the imperative to properly and fully give respect and reverence to God through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen and Amen.

            In an accusatory tone of voice, the words come out loudly: “And you call yourself a Christian!” Those words are spoken harshly and with great judgment toward someone who says they are a Christian.  The accuser can be either a Christian themselves, or they can be, and very often are, people who are not Christians, including atheists.  The words, “And you call yourself a Christian,” are an indictment about the conduct of a Christian.  The words are intended to do two things.  First, the words are intended to call attention to some behavior that is, or appears to be, grossly inconsistent with the character of Jesus Christ.  The first intent is to show that someone has failed to meet the high standards of imitating Christ that they take upon themselves when they say, “I am a Christian.”  Second, the words are intended to shame someone into changing their position on a matter or altering their behavior.  To say to someone, “And you call yourself a Christian,” is a call to action, immediate action, to change and reclaim the higher ground of Christianity.  When the charge is properly laid, they are bitter words for the Christian to hear because they reflect a disappointing witness of Christ to the world.  When improperly laid, those words are a sign of ignorance by the accuser about the person of Jesus Christ.

            I want to pick up with the last thought regarding accusations expressed in ignorance about the person of Jesus Christ.  Ignorance about Jesus has existed since his birth.  When the announcement of Jesus’ birth was received by the religious leaders of Israel and the king, King Herod, there appears to have been no excitement among the religious leaders and only murderous rage among the king.  Throughout Jesus’ public ministry, the religious leaders accused Jesus of being of Satan.  In the end, to get the Romans to execute Jesus, the religious leaders falsely accused Jesus of being a traitor to their one and only king, Caesar. After the early church began to take hold across the Roman Empire, accusations were made against Christians for engaging in bizarre and devilish behaviors.  Early Christians were accused by Romans and pagans of cannibalism (including eating babies) and related crimes like infanticide, often alongside incest. These accusations arose from the misunderstanding of the words used in the Lord’s Supper and from calling each other brother and sister.  People have been and remain suspicious of Christ and Christians.

            The Apostle Peter understood pagans' misunderstanding of Christians, and he wanted to address that matter to Christians undergoing persecution for their faith.  Peter’s approach was to begin with a simple command. Peter wrote, “He [Jesus] who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15 ESV).  Peter’s approach toward understanding proper Christian behavior was to start with the character of Christ, “He is holy.”  The meaning of the original word here for holy is that of the highest moral standing, meaning to be sinless, pure, and upright.  Jesus was forthright in his behavior, never wavering in the purity of his motives or uprightness, never deceiving anyone.  He was without sin.  Peter said, therefore, that as Christians, followers of Jesus, we must be holy in all we do.  They must be pure and upright in their behavior so they can reflect Jesus' virtues and stand in stark contrast to the way of the world.  This contrast is essential because Christ represents light and the world darkness.  Peter observed that Christians were called that they “may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9b). To understand the significance of Christ, Christians must reflect his light.

            Peter outlined specific behaviors that Christians must and must not engage in to show forth the light of Christ and represent holy conduct to a hostile culture.  We discussed some of these behaviors last week when we prepared our minds for action.  Peter said:

• “Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1).  These five behaviors are associated primarily with verbal conduct. The ancient world was verbal. Traditions were handed down by word of mouth, making what you said a reflection of who you were.  In three years of public ministry, we have no evidence that Jesus ever wrote a letter.  Everything was verbal.  Jesus told his followers, “37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matthew 5:37).  One’s spoken word meant everything and, therefore, deceit, hypocritical language, and slander were witness-killing behaviors, and they still are.

• “16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:16). Peter’s charge was to be free of worldly concerns but not to misuse that freedom by being arrogant.  Instead, from that position of freedom, show respect to everyone from the common person to the emperor, even if that same emperor was engaged in persecuting Christians.  Peter explained why.  He said, “12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).  Peter said similarly, “16Having a good conscience so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).  And again, Peter said, “3For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.  4With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:3-5). Peter challenged the Christians to be free but to live honorably toward everyone so that when Jesus returns, the pagans will have no excuse for failing to give God the glory because they witnessed God’s character in the people who followed Christ.

Peter’s message urging Christians to be holy in all their conduct was part of Christ's essential witness to the world.  Holiness was evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence within them and a true followship of Christ.

            Some hundred years or so later, a man named Diognetus wanted to know about Christians.  A friend wrote him to explain who the Christians were and said in part, “The distinction between Christians and other men does not lie in country or language or customs.  They follow local customs in clothing, food, and in the rest of life, and yet they exhibit the wonderfully paradoxical nature of their own citizenship.  They live in their own countries but as if they were resident aliens.  They share all things as citizens and yet endure all things as if they were an underclass.  Every foreign country is their homeland and every homeland a foreign country.  They marry like everyone else and have children, but they do not abort their young. They keep a common table but not a common bed.  They live in the world but not in a worldly way.  They enjoy a full life on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.  They obey the appointed laws, but they surpass the laws in their own lifestyle.  They love everyone and are universally derided.  They are unknown and roundly criticized.  They are put to death and gain life.  They are poor but make many rich.  They lack all things and yet have all things in abundance.  They are dishonored and are glorified in their dishonor.  They are abused, and they call down blessings in return.  When they are beaten up, they rejoice as men who are given a new life.  In short, what the soul is in the body, that the Christians are in the world; the soul lives in the body but is not confined by the body, and the Christians live in the world but are not confined by the world.  God has appointed them to this great calling, and it would be wrong for them to decline it.” This ancient letter showed that Peter’s words had taken root, and Christians focused their attention on living in a holy manner even when derided, abused, dishonored, and even put to death.  They were willing to have someone ask them, “You call yourself a Christian?” and reply, emphatically, “Yes.”

            This posture of being holy in a hostile world, as Peter painted it, was essential to the life of a Christian.  Being holy reflected the best possible way of living for someone freed from worldly concerns. And Peter said this for this important second reason.  Peter said, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).  The call to be holy included with it the call to share testimony for being so respectful and positive in the face of hostility.

            The questions for us today then are three.  First, “Am I free of worldly concerns because I have placed my hope in Christ?” Second, “If I am free of worldly concerns, am I living in a holy way?”  Third, “If I am free of worldly concerns and living in a holy way, am I prepared and willingly giving a defense for the hope that I have?”  Let’s take these questions in order.

            Am I free of worldly concerns because I have placed my hope in Christ?  What are worldly concerns?  There are some obvious things we can consider as worldly concerns, such as wealth and possessions.  Worldly people are preoccupied with acquiring more of both, or at least more than their next-door neighbor or more than that member of your extended family who always brags about their income and stuff.   The pursuit of wealth and possessions necessarily takes us away from our pursuit of being holy.  But there are other, more subtle ways of being tied down, constrained, by worldly concerns.  I think one of those concerns is to be accepted by others, especially by people around the world.  As humans, we like to be accepted by others.  Standing alone or being mocked can be difficult.  This is where we differ quite a bit from Peter’s audience. Because Peter’s audience was Christians, they were automatically excluded from the world's acceptance. We, however, especially in this country, are not automatically excluded from being accepted by the world because we are Christian.  However, there is great pressure on Christians to bend their ways to gain increasing acceptance.  As we have been studying the Book of Revelation, we have seen time and again that Jesus’ message to the seven churches focused on their slow slide into the integration of non-Christian beliefs and behaviors.  Doing so is the natural slippery slope all Christians face: slowly and in small ways incorporating worldly concerns into our lives, which necessarily forces our attention away from being holy, away from being a light.  And many of those subtle changes in our lives come about because we want to be accepted or not be known as Christians, to avoid any difficulties that the label might bring upon us.  Regardless of the reason, when we slide toward worldly concerns, we give up our freedom.

            The remedy for this slide, provided by Jesus in the Book of Revelation, is to remember what you have received from Him, salvation; repent, that is, turn back to Christ; and returnto doing the things you first did when freed from the world and your hope was in the eternal.

One of the imperatives when participating in the Lord’s Supper is for Christians to examine themselves before taking the elements.  And so, we should examine our lives to see whether we have become entangled in worldly concerns and sacrificed our freedom in Christ. If we have, then remember, repent, and return, and be free again from worldly concerns.  We must be free of worldly concerns if we are to take the next step.

            That second step, of course, is for our conduct from a posture of freedom to be holy.  To be moved toward holy conduct is, of course, evidence of the Holy Spirit moving us.  To have that movement in our life, we must continually invite the Holy Spirit to guide our behavior.  Are we speaking words that are encouraging?  Is it a conscious effort on our part to ask, Is what I am doing holy conduct?  Would someone seeing what I am doing say to me, “And you call yourself a Christian!” Be holy by following Jesus’ example, for He is holy.

            Our final step is to be the light to others and be willing to share why you are the way you are. When someone says, “How do you do it? How do you remain upbeat even in tough times?  Why are you kind even when others are nasty?”  Tell them.  It is not me. It is Christ living within me. Tell them what Peter told the exiles, “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).  You can make your answer shorter.  “How do you do it?”  “Christ enables me to live this way because he cares for me, and he will care for you as well.”  You can then say humbly but with a measure of assurance, “And yes, I call myself a Christian!”  Amen and Amen.

            In 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) released the movie The Wizard of Oz.  The movie has become a classic, featuring Dorothy, her little dog, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Wizard of Oz, to name a few.  I want to focus for a moment on the Scarecrow's character.  The Scarecrow agreed to accompany Dorothy to Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz in the hopes that the Wizard would give the Scarecrow a brain.  In this fantasy movie, even though the Scarecrow believed he lacked a brain, he nevertheless had a sharp mind.  He was able to reason and use experience to predict future outcomes.  When he and Dorothy were hungry, he tricked the talking apple trees into throwing apples at him, which he and Dorothy ate.  The point here is that the character in the movie had a mind separate from the brain.  The brain is an organ of the body; it is the instrument of the mind, but they are distinct. Our mind is our consciousness, thoughts, emotions, reasoning, experience, self-awareness, and intentions. Our minds are teachable as well as subject to wandering.

            A person’s mind says who they are.  As such, a person’s mind was a very real concern for Jesus and, later, for his apostles. Let me give you a few brief illustrations.

            In the Gospel of Mark, we would read that early in Jesus’ public ministry, Jesus’ family, his mother and brothers, arrived at a house where he was preaching, teaching, and healing. The text says Jesus’ family came to that house because they believed Jesus was “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). Jesus’ behavior had raised concerns in his family about his mental stability. They did not see how Jesus could be saying and doing what he was doing, given his lived experience.  Therefore, Jesus must be “out of his mind.”

            In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Peter, the author of today’s letter, told Jesus that Jesus must not speak of his death at the hands of evil men.  Jesus’ response to Peter was, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33).  Peter was in his right mind when he expressed his concern about Jesus’ talking about his death. Still, the issue was that Peter was not in the mind of God.  Jesus was so emphatic about the significance of Peter’s state of mind that Jesus equated having the mind of natural man as being akin to having the mind of Satan. Jesus rebuked Peter, saying that to be his apostle, Peter must acquire the mind of God and have in his mind the things that were of God’s concern.

Jesus’ words must have stung Peter, but they must also have had the desired effect of reshaping Peter’s mind into that of Christ. Because it was that same Peter who wrote to the Christians of Asia Minor, telling them they must have the mind of Christ.  In the short letter 1 Peter 1, Peter wrote about the believer's mind and mindset. Peter said:

• “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” (1 Peter 1:13)
• “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
• “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).
• “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Peter was calling upon these Christians, who were undergoing persecution and suffering for their faith, to prepare their minds for action, to be of one mind, and to be sober-minded.  What was Peter driving at here?  There are three contexts that Peter focused upon.

            First, in Chapter 1, verse 13, Peter challenged these early Christians to prepare their minds for action.  In the sense of the original language, the concept of preparing was like tightening one’s belt before lifting something heavy.  The mind here meant understanding, feeling, and desiring. So, Peter was challenging his readers to prepare their minds for the heavy work that lay ahead.  And that work was to absorb the suffering they were experiencing and realize that through it, they could acquire the mind of Christ. What is the mind of Christ?

            Peter began explaining that acquiring the mind of Christ required action.  To have the mind of Jesus is not an intellectual exercise. Jesus is not a subject to be studied; He is a person to imitate and a divine being to be worshipped.  Therefore, Peter said that the first step in acquiring the mind of Christ is to be obedient to Jesus.  Peter wrote, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14 ESV).  The original sense here is that Christians must no longer act in worldly ways like they once did when they were ignorant of divine ways.  The natural human mind is ignorant of God’s mind.  Peter understood that point from Jesus’ stinging rebuke of Peter when Jesus called Peter by none other than the name of Satan for having the things of man upon his mind, not the concerns of God.  Satan fosters the worst elements of human thought and attempts to pervert any knowledge of God and His mind that we may possess.  Peter’s point was that, having received the gospel of Jesus and accepted him as Lord and Savior, the Christian begins to understand the mind of Christ.  Once that understanding begins, Peter said, we must act first by obeying what Jesus’ mind is set upon and not behave like one who is ignorant by thinking about worldly things.

            What is the way of the ignorant passions, and how does it differ from the mind of Christ?  Peter told his readers to “Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1).  These are behaviors of the world that know nothing of the mind of Christ.  How can we be sure of that?  Peter gave the contrasting example.  “21b Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21b-23).  The mind of Jesus, the man from Galilee, was fixed upon obedience to the divine nature of God, not upon the passions of the world.

            Peter’s words come from his own lived experience with Jesus, in which he witnessed Jesus living out the life described by Isaiah, in Chapter 53, of the life of the suffering servant.  Isaiah wrote, “7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth…9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, 9).

            Peter’s words carried the sense of needing to tighten one’s belt.  His audience, a group of people exiled for their faith in Christ, suffering from persecution, were just told to endure the suffering because they are blessed by it.  In what way would they be blessed?  They would be blessed because they would acquire the mind of Christ.  In their suffering, their faith would be strengthened.

The second context of Peter’s remarks about the Christian’s mind was that they must be sober-minded.  When we hear the word sober, we naturally think of someone who was abstaining from the use of alcohol.  The context of the Greek word for "sober," however, reflects someone calm and collected in spirit.  To be calm and collected in the spirit, especially when undergoing suffering, is to have confidence in the eternal.  This is the very definition of the mind of Christ, who always was, is, and will be.  It is not that physical life has no meaning or purpose, but rather to recognize that everything about our physical life is but a tiny moment compared to eternity. Jesus put it this way, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Mark 8:36).  Being sober-minded then brings about a calmness of spirit in dealing with the real issues of this life, but by dealing with them in a manner that does not alter the outcome of one’s eternal destination.   Peter had warned, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  The devil, Satan, is an adversary who will always try to get Christians to focus on their present difficulties, creating agitation and an upset that keeps them from Christ.

            The third context of Peter’s letter on the Christian mind was that having the mind of Christ should be a shared experience of mutual support from fellow Christians.  Peter emphasized that the mind of Christ is unlike that of man and that each Christian must follow Jesus' example. Peter said, “8All of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).  Peter concluded the first point with these words. “1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2so as to live for the rest of time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2).  Peter’s point is that we must be of one mind with other Christians and draw near to Christians who are hurting, who are suffering, and lift them in that suffering.

            What do we do with Peter’s words concerning having the mind of Christ?  I think there are two things for us to consider.

            First, Peter chose to write these words to Christians who were suffering.  They were exiles and being subjected to persecution.  Many of the early Christians were physically maimed, losing fingers, hands, and arms as they were being forced to renounce Christ and worship only the emperor.  Some lost their lives.  Others were faced with lesser persecution in the form of prejudice and shunning.  Most simply, these Christians were suffering.

            Suffering for one’s faith is one of the most difficult things for people to understand.  The question inevitably comes, “Why, God, am I suffering as I profess my faith in you?”  What we are really asking is “Doesn’t my public expression of faith obligate You to protect me from suffering?”  This is the natural mindset of humanity.  “I have done something for you, and now you are obligated to do something for me.”  We, in the human mindset, believe we have a business relationship with God.  If we are to understand Peter’s words, the words of Scripture, we must think of suffering differently.

            Our experience of suffering is not just what we experience; it also includes what we do with that experience.  We can and always do shape our experience of suffering.  If we suffer and question the goodness of God because we suffer, our suffering hurts even more, and we feel spiritually depleted.  However, if we recognize that God’s own son was not exempt from suffering, we can better understand the mind of Christ when we suffer. Most simply, when we suffer, we have an opportunity to follow Jesus in ways that cannot be experienced any other way. To be with Jesus in suffering is to stand upon holy ground.  No one enters holy ground and remains the same.  Allowing ourselves to let God make use of our suffering so that we can acquire the mind of Christ is a blessing.  Our experience of suffering, then, is not just suffering but is reshaped to bring us closer to Christ.  I have met a lot of people who are suffering from grief.  Without exception, every person has been changed by that experience. Some who suffer without Christ suffer terribly.  Others who grasp hold of Christ still suffer, but their lives are changed because they have become more like Christ through that experience.  No one seeks suffering.  Suffering finds us, and we must decide what to do with it.  This message is not for the faint of heart.  I think that is why Peter said to prepare your mind for action.  In our language, tighten the belt around your waist for some heavy lifting.  To suffer and hold on to Christ is a heavy lift, but it brings us deep intimacy with Christ, and we come to acquire the mind of Christ.

            The second point deals with the unity of Christians in suffering.  When you are invited to enter the suffering of another Christian, you must remember you have been invited into holy ground.  When God drew Moses to Himself by the burning bush, God said to Moses, “Do not come any closer.  Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). When we offer comfort to those who suffer, we should be humble in our approach and unite ourselves with our brother or sister who is suffering.  Peter said in his letter, “Have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).  You may never be more Christlike than when you participate in the sufferings of another person.  As you model the life of Christ in ministry to others, you become Christ to hurting people. Peter wanted the exiles to support and care for one another in their sufferings so that they would become more like Christ.  To have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly or sisterly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind requires more of Christ and less of us.  In the process, we acquire the mind of Christ.

            “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” (1 Peter 1:13, ESV).  May each of us be blessed with the mind of Christ.  Amen and Amen.

          Every day, across this country, believers and nonbelievers engage in an ancient pagan practice.  I suspect everyone here has engaged in this pagan practice as well.  I know I have.  Every day, someone, somewhere, is presented with a birthday cake with a candle on it. After some version of Happy Birthday is sung, the birthday boy or girl, regardless of age, is invited to make a wish and blow out the candle.  The tradition of birthday wishes stems from ancient pagan and Roman beliefs.  Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that on a person’s birthday, a spirit was present that could ward off evil spirits, making kind wishes, greetings, and gifts available for the coming year.  The ancient Greeks believed the rising smoke from the extinguished candle carried the wishes directly to the gods.  Now that you know you have been acting like a pagan, you probably won’t look at our beloved birthday cake tradition the same way again.

          I raise this point not to lay ruin to a tradition, but to have us focus, for a moment, on the idea of wishful thinking.  That is what we are doing just before the birthday candle is extinguished.  We are engaging in wishful thinking.  Wishful thinking is imagining that something pleasant will come to us.  You might say, “Pastor, is it a problem to wish for good outcomes?”  The answer is, “Of course, not.”  But.  There is always a but, isn’t there?  But wishful thinking, as an approach to life, centers on the formation of beliefs and making decisions based on desires and imagination rather than on evidence, rationality, or reality.  And in our modern culture, wishful thinking is less often expressed as such and more often expressed as hope.  Students who are facing a major exam in school do not say, “I am ‘wishfully thinking’ that I will pass the exam even though I did not study for it.”  They instead say, “I hope I pass the exam even though I did not study for it.”  A woman abused by her husband or significant other says, “I hope he has changed this time.”  That is wishful thinking for sure.  Our culture has confused and distorted hope and wishful thinking, making them the same thing.  They are not. Hope is much different than wishful thinking.

          Our Scripture today from the Apostle Peter begins by addressing hope grounded in truth rather than in wishful thinking.  What did Peter say about hope, and why was what he said based on truth?  What message then do Peter’s words carry for us today?

          Peter began his letter this way, “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Peter 1:1-2).  Peter began by identifying that his letter was written to and for the benefit of Christians.  This is not an open letter to the public.  This is a letter to the elect, people chosen to receive and who believed in God’s Word, Christians.  So we could say Peter is saying, “Dear Believers in God through Jesus Christ.”  He then went on to call them “exiles” scattered across a vast swath of modern-day Turkey.  These early believers, Christians, were, as Peter described, exiles. Exiles in the ancient world were people forced from their homeland, stripped of property rights and all legal protections.  Oftentimes, exile was an alternative to execution.  So, Peter’s letter began, “Dear Believers in God through Jesus Christ, stripped of everything in this world and at risk of mortal death, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”  Peter was saying, “You, my dear believers, people around you see you as having nothing in this world, and yet supernaturally you have an abundance of grace and peace that the world cannot see from God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son.  You are personally known to God the Father, who created all there is.  You are being sanctified, molded by the Holy Spirit into new beings reflecting the true character of God.  You have been made right, freed from the eternal death penalty of sin, by the completed work of Jesus, who died for you upon the cross. Nonbelievers, people of the world, pagans, think you are despised people because they cannot see that God eternally blesses you.”  This is what Peter’s opening words meant to his readers.  Opening words of joy and encouragement from someone so closely and personally associated with Jesus Christ.

          With words of encouragement and joy, Peter went straight to the heart of the matter, “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his [God’s] great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3a).  Peter wanted his readers to know three truths.

          First, God, the very father of Jesus Christ, has extended mercy.  Like equating wishful thinking to hope, our modern culture has changed the meaning of mercy to equate it with kindness.  If you gave a hungry person a meal, you were not merciful, but you were kind. The person you fed will be comforted and satisfied for a while, but they will become hungry again.  Mercy would be more akin to taking that hungry person, removing them from whatever conditions caused their hunger, and placing them in a position from which they would never experience hunger again.  Mercy is not correcting a deficit like being hungry; it is about permanently enhancing someone’s standing.

          Second, to whom did God extend this mercy, this forever life-changing condition?  Peter says, God has extended it to us.  To us?  Think for a moment how much joy Peter’s words brought to his readers.  Peter, the Rock, a monumental figure so close to Jesus, and they, mere exiles in Asia Minor, were united as “us.”  They and Peter were as one receiving mercy equally from God the Father of Jesus Christ.

          Third, what mercy had God given to Peter and to these exiles?  Peter called that mercy a new birth into a living hope.  Peter and these exiles in Asia Minor were born into this world, like all people, by a physical birth.  As physical beings, they were confined to live by others' rules. They were subject to illness, injury, and disease like everyone else.  They had hunger and thirst.  But now through God’s mercy, they, along with Peter, were born again, and this second birth differed from the first because it was a living hope.  A living hope?  What did Peter mean by those words, a living hope?

          Peter said, “In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:3b-4a).  Peter distinguished this living hope from wishful thinking.  This living hope was grounded in the truth; it is evidenced by God's power to raise Jesus from the dead.  The resurrection of Jesus grants the believer a new birth of living hope.

          And what is this living hope founded in the truth and evidenced by the resurrection of Jesus? It is, said Peter, an inheritance. In the ancient days, inheritance was something of earthly value given by a father to his children.  That inheritance would be property with defined boundaries, whether land, a building, or precious metals such as gold. The inheritance through God’s mercy that was a living hope was something Peter said could not perish, spoil, or fade. In fact, Peter said, “This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4b).  The inheritance for Peter and these exiles who possess nothing is held in trust outside this world, outside the reach of worldly men in power, and is of such a quality that it never fades or spoils.  Peter would say later that God’s power shields this inheritance.  What is imperishable inheritance?  Peter said it is your salvation (1 Peter 1:5).

          Salvation is a gift of mercy.  Salvation is not taking someone from a deficit condition and making them whole. As I said before, that would be kindness.   If God were going to be kind to these exiles, he would take action to restore their property, possessions, and rights to live out their mortal existence.  It would be a restoration of expectations of their first physical birth.  Instead, God was merciful to Peter and these exiles, giving them a second birth, a spiritual birth with an inherited life secured for them in heaven.  This is salvation.  They were assured of eternal life by the God so powerful that he raised Jesus from the dead.  A God so powerful that he sent his Holy Spirit to be the guardian of Peter and the exile’s new life.  A God so powerful that his Son’s completed work on the cross took care of the sinful nature of Peter and the exiles and made them children of God, qualified to receive the inheritance of salvation.  Peter and the exiles had been elevated far beyond what kindness could ever do.  They had been elevated by what only God’s mercy could do.

          Peter then gave the exiles a command.  Peter said, “13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Peter 1:13).  Peter’s command is a simple one.  Do not live your new life like others, with wishful thinking. If you will, “Do not blow out birthday candles wishing for a prosperous new year.”  This is not the life you have now in Jesus.  Set your hope, the assurance of all that will be upon the truth that God knows you, his Holy Spirit is guiding you, and his Son, Jesus, has died for you, been raised from the dead, and will come again that you will be fully with Him.  This is hope given to you in mercy by God and held for you in heaven.  Hold fast to this hope today and every day, even if, or especially when, worldly difficulties or persecution come against your physical life.

          Peter continued, “20 He [Jesus] was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him [Jesus] you believe in God, who raised him [Jesus] from the dead and glorified him [Jesus], and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20-21).  Jesus came to reveal God to you and to me.  Though Jesus died, demonstrating God’s love, Jesus was also raised and glorified by God's power.  So your hope, a living hope, should be placed in the living God, in his power, and in his mercy.

          What then do we take from Peter’s message today for us?  In many ways, we live a very different life from Peter’s original readers. We are not exiles here.  Our faith in Jesus Christ has not cost us our property, jobs, homes, or legal protections.  We are coming this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation on the truth that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence).  Those words would go on to form the nucleus of the first amendment of the United States Constitution that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (1st Amendment).  The government cannot exile us for practicing our faith.

          So what do we share with the exiles of Asia Minor to whom Peter addressed his letter?  We share a common humanity.  We share a common physical birth.  We are subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, illness, injury, and, yes, death.  We are subject to jealousy, envy, lust, and anger, causing us to act in sinful ways; ways that are neither kind, compassionate, nor merciful.  They and we have heard the call of Jesus to repent, that is, to turn from our own ways and turn toward God, and receive the good news that our sins can be forgiven.  They heard this call and received a second birth, a supernatural spiritual birth. They became new creations with a living hope held in trust for them by God.

          The question for us today is, have we joined these exiles in receiving the greatest gift possible in this lifetime, and that is a new life that is imperishable and incorruptible, an eternal life with God?  Have we become part of “us” with the likes of the Apostle Peter, John, and Paul?  Are we known to God as an exile from Him or as a child of His who has received his mercy?  Is our life being guided by the Holy Spirit in the ways of the Spirit, which is to display the character of God with “love, joy, peace, patience (or forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)?  Is our life cleansed of unrighteousness because we have accepted the completed work of Jesus upon the cross, and we look forward to his return?  Perhaps your answer to all these questions is “Yes, Pastor, I am a child of God, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, and he is here beside me, and his Spirit is within me.”  I am, in that way, an exile and joined with the Apostle Peter.  And to that I would say, “You are truly blessed.”

          To those who would answer “No” to these questions or are not sure what their answers would be, I ask you, “Why are you living your life with wishful thinking, blowing out birthday candles and watching the smoke rise upward, imagining something for your future? Why would you live your life as an exile from God, with no rights, protection, or inheritance?”  Think deeply about the call Jesus has made for you to receive the good news he is offering fully.  If you are not sure what that means, call me so that we can talk and pray together. 

          For those who answered “Yes,” I have one more question.  Is your life based upon the living hope, or are you still holding on to some wishful thinking?”  The living hope we have is a concrete, active expectation rooted in God's faithfulness. It is something tangible you can grasp and hold onto, rather than a vague wish.  The hope Peter spoke about is like a binding together of life with God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son into an unbreakable cord that can withstand the stresses of physical life because it is supernatural.  This hope can prevail against all earthly circumstances because this living hope is the imperishable, incorruptible, and eternal inheritance of God’s mercy.  Grab hold of it and do not let it go.  Amen and Amen. 

            Experience tells us that if you have two brothers in a family, there will be wrestling matches and the occasional fight.  It is part of human nature.  A competitive spirit or outright envy and jealousy must drive contests and struggles. My brother is four years older than I am, and as kids, we battled.  I would threaten to punch him.  He would tell me that if I did, he would punch me back ten times harder.  I thought it was worth the risk and would punch him.  He was true to his word and would punch back, hard.

            Fighting is part of human nature, and fighting in the Bible is part of our spiritual nature. The Apostle Paul, in the letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, told Timothy to “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12a).  The Greek word Paul used for the first use of the word “fight” was agōnizomai (ag-o-nid'-zom-ahee).  The word, a verb, an action word, meaning to contend with, struggle against the difficulties and dangers.  Paul’s point was that Timothy would need to fight especially hard against those who opposed the gospel.  Fight, Paul was saying, for something of such great value.  It is not a fight out of jealousy or envy, but rather a fight out of love.  Paul wanted Timothy to have a fire within him that burned with a passion to push back against the darkness of sinful behavior, to refute those who were distorting the good news of Jesus Christ, and to express the love Christ has for the believer.

            In the translation of Paul’s words, the word “fight” is used a second time in the same sentence, “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12a).  The Greek word for the second “fight” in this sentence was agōn (ag-one'), a noun, meaning a contest in a figurative sense, as a runner might in a race.  We might think of Paul’s words this way: “Strive hard with great passion in the good contest of faith.”  Paul said in this passionate striving in the contest, Timothy must evidence a pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.  Paul’s words here suggest that Timothy’s striving must be done in part by himself, “pursuing righteousness, godliness, and faith, and in part in the community of other believers, with love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11b).  Our life as Christians, Paul said, is one of striving within ourselves in a relationship with God and to strive to have loving relationships with other Christians. 

This is not a new concept.  This concept is as old as the Ten Commandments.  The first set of commandments addressed our individual behavior towards God.  We are commanded to have no other Gods, make no graven images, nor use the Lord’s name in vain, and keep the Sabbath holy.  These commandments address a relationship with God.  The second set of commandments addressed our behaviors with other people.  We are commanded to honor our mother and father, we shall not kill, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor bear false witness, nor covet that which is not ours. We must strive in our faith individually with God and together in community.  Doing so ties together the command to love God and to love our neighbor. And so Paul said, “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12a), one which shows evidence of a rightly lived life with God and with other believers.

Our faith is worth passionately striving for because it feeds the core of our identity, meaning, and purpose for being.  And Paul’s words were meant to encourage Timothy to pursue this path.  Paul knew about Timothy’s start in faith and wanted him to go even further beyond it, as a runner would in a race.

What was Timothy’s start in the faith? His faith began with his grandmother and mother. At the same time, Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father.   Timothy had two very strong spiritual women in his life: Lois and Eunice, his grandmother and mother.  Scripture records these words from Paul, “5 I am reminded of your [Timothy’s] sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).  Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, must have heard Paul or another evangelist proclaim the gospel.  She came to believe in Jesus.  Lois was a woman of faith and a mother.  Paul’s presentation of the Scripture suggests that Lois made three decisions upon hearing the gospel.  First, she accepted the gospel and was saved.  Second, she began following Christ’s commands to evidence that her life would honor the living God.  Third, she displayed a maternal character of teaching her children about God’s love and sharing the gospel with her daughter, Eunice.  Lois passed to her daughter the truth that she had given Eunice life through birth and that Jesus would give her eternal life through a second spiritual birth.

Paul tells us that Eunice learned from her mother Lois, as she witnessed her mother living in accordance with God’s will.  We learn so much by watching.  We all should be asking ourselves, “Who is watching me? What are my behavior and words teaching them?  To whom am I leading them toward?  Do the things I say make me popular and witty, or do they enrich the lives of those around me?  We can ask ourselves, “Would someone, like Paul, see me as someone of sincere faith?” We need to ask God to lead us towards the proper answer.

Paul credits both Timothy’s grandmother and mother as having a great influence over him.  Paul saw in those women the progression and transformation of their lives.  They shared the Gospel with Timothy so that he would come to know the truth.  God came in human form as Jesus Christ.  He was crucified, died, was buried, and was resurrected and ascended into heaven.  In knowing and believing in him, we are saved. They nurtured Timothy’s faith.

The story of Timothy, his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, teaches that motherhood is not a job.  Motherhood is a ministry.  Motherhood bears the pain of childbirth because all life is precious.  Jesus bore the pain of the cross because all life is eternal.  Motherhood is unconditional love given to nurture life to its fullest.  It gives protection, believes in the truth, lives in faith, shares the Gospel, and leads those under its wings to eternal life. This is what Paul saw happen in Timothy’s life to help prepare him to “Fight the good fight for faith” (1 Timothy 6:12a).  And so this Mother’s Day, we say, “Well done, Lois.  Well done, Eunice.”

            So, as we return to Paul’s central message for Timothy, what, then, does it mean for us to fight the good fight of faith?  I think there are three things Paul points out for us today.  First, Paul told Timothy, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12b).  What does that mean, and why is that the first step?  To take hold means to grab hold of something tightly in your hands, seeking to use every ounce of your strength, never to let it go.  No matter how much someone might try to distract you or the weather may assault you, your focus never shifts, your arms and hands never waver, you grab hold and hold on.  This is the sort of faith that Paul encouraged Timothy to have and to display, and by extension, Paul encourages us in the same way.  To hold onto eternal life while living a mortal life is to show faith in the power of God to save you.  Paul said, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8a).  Faith in an eternal life frees us from worry in this life. All philosophies and religions claiming our eternity must be earned by our own merit or works, or that there is no eternity.  When we hold onto eternal life, though we experience the inevitable pain in this life, we understand it all as temporary.

            As to the second point, Paul said, “6 Godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  11 But you, man of God, flee from all this” (1 Timothy 6:6-11a).  On the one hand, we must grasp eternal life as an eternal treasure.  On the other hand, we must flee the traps of temptation that earthly treasures bring.  Paul’s thoughts come from Jesus, who said, “24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).  Jesus was, of course, giving application to the first of the Ten Commandments, “3 You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).  Paul’s encouragement to Timothy and to you and me is to be content with godliness, be at peace having enough to eat and clothes to wear, but flee from the temptations of this world, especially the enticement to pursue earthly wealth.

            So, Paul said, hold tightly to eternal life and flee the entrapment of earthly wealth.  And to this, Paul added one final point.  Paul said to pursue “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11b).  Pursue those things for your life that are contrary to the world.  Someone shared a little video clip with me this week in which the speaker observed that Jesus never said to his followers, "Change the world.”  As the speaker put it, Jesus told his followers the world “stinks.”   “In this world you will have trouble” (John 6:33b).  The call on Jesus’ followers was not to change the world, but to “Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15).  Be moved by the work of God in your life.  Paul said to Timothy, pursue the very things that are of God, not of this world, 'righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11b).  What do Paul’s words mean?

• Righteousness – Be a person of integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting.  Hold fast to the promise of God for eternal life, flee worldliness exemplified by the desire for wealth, be content, and express to others the character of God.
• Godliness – Be a person who shows reverence and respect to God through public worship, personal and public prayer, and diligent study of the Scriptures.
• Faith – Be a person who, in reference to Christ, has "a strong and confident conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God."
• Love – Be a person who demonstrates an affection and willingness to serve other Christians without exception of return.
• Endurance – Be a person who does not waver from their deliberate purpose, loyalty to faith, and love of God, even during the greatest trials and sufferings.
• Gentleness – Be a person who displays meekness, not a weakness, but meekness marked by a quiet and peaceful life.

Paul said to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness because they are the very essence of the life of Christ and therefore contrast starkly with the world.

      What then are the markers for our lives as followers of Christ?  Hold on tightly to eternal life and run toward it as though you were a runner with the finish line in sight.  Flee the temptations of life that distract you from the prize you have in Christ. And all the while pursue the very essence of the being of Christ with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.  So let us hold, flee, and pursue the life of contentment and peace in Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.

            When I worked for the federal government, I participated in a leadership training program at the University of Notre Dame.  It is a 16-hour-a-day, 6-day program to expand the attendees' understanding of leadership and executive decision-making.   It was a good course.

            A man named Melvin opened the course.  He asked us to call him Mel.  Mel had written extensively about leadership, although I was never quite sure if he had been a leader himself.  Mel put forth the proposition that each person is defined by their strengths measured across five areas.  Mel said people have physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual strengths. He then went on to say that among these strengths, one determined a leader's overall success.  Mel said a person’s success was determined by their emotional strength.  Mel believed that an emotionally balanced leader could make sound executive decisions even if they lacked strengths in the other dimensions.  When Mel paused his presentation to take questions or comments, I told him I did not agree with his conclusion that emotional strength was the controlling dimension of success.  I told him I thought spiritual strength would ultimately determine a person’s success.  We exchanged our respective views, and Mel proceeded with his next point.  I would not be the last time Mel and I would differ.

            If Mel were here today, he would hate this sermon.  Why did I differ from Mel, and why do I still today?  I disagreed with Mel because he wanted to treat the five dimensions of a person as independent.  He wanted us to believe that people develop and exercise their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual strengths separately.  Meaning, he thought of our emotional strength independent of our physical or spiritual condition.  My thought is that all these strengths are interrelated.  Many people report that their emotional well-being is much better when they exercise than when they do not, which suggests that physical and emotional health are interdependent rather than independent. If our strengths are interdependent rather than independent, one of those strengths would be the prime influencer over the others.  This was the point I made to Mel.  I believed then, and I believe now, that our spiritual strength most influences the overall strength of our being.

            I did not know at the time of my discussion with Mel that the Apostle Paul had concluded spiritual strength was the prime influencer over our lives.  Paul, in writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, said, “7b Train yourself to be godly.  8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).  Godliness, as we discussed last week, is a deep reverence and respect for God.  It is an attitude that we express and strengthen through worship, study of the scriptures, and prayers to God, both prayers of gratitude and of petition.  Paul’s point was that while physical training is good for our bodies and likely will improve our emotional wellness, it is our spiritual development that will influence all aspects of our life now and our life to come.

            Now, Paul’s comparison of physical training and spiritual training is not accidental.  Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son, not Paul’s biological son.  Timothy’s biological father was Greek.  The Greeks and the Romans put a premium on physical conditioning.  There were gymnasiums in most major cities, including Ephesus, where Timothy was called to attend.  Likely under the influence of his Greek father, Timothy would have engaged in extensive physical training.  Paul, now seeking to educate his spiritual son, encouraged Timothy to train himself to be godly, that is, to pursue spiritual training even more vigorously than he did with physical training.

            What does it mean to train yourself to be godly, and why did Paul consider it so necessary?  Let’s take the second part of that question first: why did Paul consider spiritual training for a devoted Christian so necessary? We see the necessity in the opening verse of Chapter 4: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1a).  Paul, Timothy, you, and I have a lot in common.  Our faith is always under continual assault.  The assault on the faith of our children and grandchildren is even more pronounced than on adults.  Every day, a barrage of weapons is hurled at Christians collectively and individually, looking to wound someone’s faith in any way possible. Marxists call Christianity an opium for its people, rendering faith as a comforting, illusory force that eases the pain of oppression.  Atheists, those who do not believe in God, believe Christianity is anti-intellectual. Some have gone so far as to claim Christianity is a childhood indoctrination system that prevents critical thinking, viewing faith as a "non-physical form of brain damage.” Even those within Christianity itself attack Christianity by making all sorts of claims against God, Jesus, and salvation.  Even some within Christianity believe that all religions are basically the same. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.  Paul said to Timothy, “1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2a Such teachings come through hypocritical liars” (1 Timothy 4:1-2a).  People abandon their faith because they listen to liars.

            Some people, like Mel, believe they can achieve their personal goals of success by working on other characteristics, such as physical, social, or intellectual strengths. Each one of these characteristics, while important, is not equal to spiritual strength.  People forego spiritual growth training to participate in sports and recreational activities.  They have well-toned bodies, which Paul called our physical bodies tents. Paul was skilled at making tents. All tents, Paul said, no matter how well-toned on earth, will be destroyed.  Then what?  Eternity. As some have said, eternity is like real estate.  It is all about three things: location, location, location!  Some people will be well-toned on earth and in misery for eternity.

            Others give their lives over to making social connections, whether in person or, increasingly, through virtual means such as social media platforms.  They develop powerful networks of friends but remain, as Paul said, an enemy of God.  Someday, those connections will go dark.  Then what? Same answer.  Eternity.  They will have foregone the opportunity to use the original wireless service, praying to God.  They will then ask, “Can you hear me now?”  And they will receive the reply, “Away from me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:22-23).

            Paul counseled Timothy to be “6b nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God” (1 Timothy 4:6b-10a).  Train in the ways of spiritual growth in godliness because the more we do, the greater hope we have, no matter what else is occurring in our lives.  The more we train in godliness, the stronger we become emotionally, intellectually, and socially.  The more we train in godliness, the better able we are to understand that our body is but a tent, a temporary structure, that will need care and mending while on earth, but will be subject to changes and frailties we cannot prevent.

            Let me give you an example of what Paul was talking about.  Some years ago, I began providing pastoral counseling to an individual following the death of a loved one.  That counseling eventually expanded to helping with family relationships, employment, and emotional growth.  All through-out I encourage, above all, spiritual development.  The person made commitments to pursue spiritual development but never did so in any serious way.  Even though they were able to keep appointments with doctors, therapists, and businesses, there was always one reason after another for not attending church, Bible study, community meal, or ministry opportunity.  One day, I met with this individual at their request to talk about the latest set of emotional and social issues.  At this meeting, I said that I no longer saw the point in meeting because they refused to follow any of my advice toward spiritual growth, and that all their other issues in life were only getting worse as a result. I said either what I offer in counsel is not going to work, or I do not possess the skills this person needs.

We kept in touch, but the counseling ended.  Recently, I had to speak to this person on the phone.  Their life is more difficult in every regard than it was the last time we met in person.  And, yes, there was still no effort at spiritual growth.  They complained to me that I should not have dropped them as a counselor, and they found that it was very hurtful.  I did not want to argue with them about how they feel; there is no point in that.  But my counsel was the same, and now I can say more authoritatively and eloquently by quoting Paul, “7b train yourself to be godly…8b godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7b, 8b). 

I think the proof of God’s Word here was evident, as most dimensions of this person’s life are melting because they refuse to train in godliness.  We should not be confused into thinking that God is punishing this person for failing to pursue Him.  The punishment, if you will, is the self-inflicted consequence of refusing to pursue God.

Then what should our attitude toward training in godliness be, as Paul commended to Timothy?  For today, I only want to make one point.  We must set the right example for ourselves.  Paul told Timothy to set an example for his congregation, presumably because Paul had modeled it for him.  Paul once wrote, “8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).  Paul highlighted that training in godliness should show evidence of truth, nobility, righteousness, purity of motive, pleasant behavior, and conduct that is admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.  Paul said to his church, whenever you see this behavior in me, copy it. Why?  Because Paul would also say, “ 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).  Paul set Christ as the example to imitate in training for godliness, and so should we.

A few years ago, there was some popularity among Christians of wearing a wristband with the initials WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do.”  It was a reminder to Christians to guide their daily decisions and ethical behavior based on the life of Jesus.  This has some merit.  But.  But the problem with a WWJD wristband is that if you do not first pursue Jesus and what Jesus did, WDJD, “What Did Jesus Do,” you cannot possibly answer the question, “What Would Jesus Do.”  You cannot imitate what you do not know.  Training in godliness begins with Jesus and what He did, so that we know what to imitate.

Paul’s example to Timothy was expressed this way, “12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).  To know the fullness of Christ is about continually following Him. Our training never ends.  Our worship, our study of what Jesus did, and our reverence for Him should intensify with time, not slack off because of what we did in the past.

A major part of physical training is eating the right foods. In an analogous way, Jesus used food and drink to remind us of our pursuit of godliness.  He did so through the Lord’s Supper.  Today, we have the occasion to do some spiritual growing by remembering what Jesus did in giving of his body and his blood, His tent. Coming to Jesus has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  Amen and Amen. 

            I know that what I am about to say will be hard for some to believe, but some churches have experienced conflicts among their members.  These conflicts and disagreements have led to hurt feelings and, in some cases, to people leaving the church.  Hard to believe, isn’t it?

            I know this because on a few occasions, churches experiencing conflict have asked me to come and see if I could mediate.  A few years ago, I underwent training as a church mediator.  As a mediator, I am to be neutral, taking no side for or against any party.  The mediator is there to listen and help people calmly discuss their concerns. Then, hopefully, help the parties work out mutually acceptable agreements.  This is a very typical role for all mediators, whether working with churches, other organizations, or individuals in conflict.

            In our reading today from the Apostle Paul’s letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, Paul used the term "mediator" and ascribed it to Jesus.  Paul wrote, “5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).  Right away, we see massive differences between Paul’s use of the term "mediator" and our contemporary understanding of the word.

            Jesus, Paul said, is a mediator because He is between the two parties that are separated and in conflict. Jesus is between God and the people. What is the conflict? Paul wrote elsewhere, in the Book of Romans, the conflict was that the people were sinners and thus enemies of God (Romans 5:8).  The conflict between God and the people was the Holiness of God, the very essence of Light, and the sin of the people, the very essence of Darkness.  Paul said Jesus stands between the two as a mediator. Paul once asked, “Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14b).  Paul’s question is rhetorical.  Light and darkness can have nothing to do with each other because holiness and sin can have nothing to do with each other.  But Paul said, Jesus stands as a mediator between holiness and sin, between light and darkness.  Jesus seems to be given an apparently impossible mediation assignment, as we understand mediation.

            But, unlike today’s mediators, Jesus was different.  Jesus did not stand apart from either party, God and the people.  Jesus was God, and as Paul reminded Timothy, Jesus was a man. Jesus was not a neutral mediator. Jesus was part of each party, God and humanity.  But Paul said that though Jesus was a man, he was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21a). Jesus, though he came into the darkness of a sinful humanity and became a man, always remained as holy and as light.  So, we see that Jesus is a very different sort of mediator because he is a member of both parties, without losing his godliness or his humanness.

            I want to pause there for a moment and let us take in what Paul's words have meant so far. Jesus is divine, he is light, and he is human, and he is a mediator.  When we take that in and consider the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, we can see clearly the work Jesus was doing as a mediator.  Jesus was always the light, revealing the holiness and goodness of God and God's desire to be reconciled to his people.  When Jesus’ miracles and teachings were not sufficient to show his role as a man seeking to reconcile the people to God, Jesus said it directly.  Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). That was Jesus revealing himself as of God. Jesus then said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  That was Jesus revealing that he was acting as a mediator to bring people out of the darkness of sin and into the light of God by following him.  But he was not pulling God toward the people while pulling the people toward God.  He was revealing the one true God so that God's power and attractiveness would draw people toward a restored relationship with God.

            But there remained a problem.  God’s holiness does attract people, just as humans are naturally drawn to light over darkness.  And yet, the people were soiled with the darkness of sin, which must be removed before being reconciled to God.  The people had no power, no ability, to remove that sin. To complete the reconciliation, Jesus, the mediator, Paul said, “gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:6a).  Through the death of the man, Jesus, the mediator, on the cross, the sin of the people could be forgiven and reconciliation made complete.  Paul wrote elsewhere, ”6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…10 For while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son” (Romans 5:6-8, 10a). The reconciliation of God and the sinner required the ultimate expression of love, and that was the mediator to die for the sinner.  This is who Jesus is as our mediator to God.  This is why Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6b).

            It is with this understanding of Jesus as our mediator, who reveals God to us, who draws us toward the goodness and holiness of God, and bridges the gap by giving his life, that Paul encourages Timothy in prayer and worship.  Paul wrote, “1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).  In this instruction to Timothy, Paul lays out the type of life people reconciled to God through the mediator, Jesus Christ, ought to live. Paul said a Christian’s life ought to be marked by peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

            What does it mean to live a peaceful and quiet life?  In Greek, a peaceful life is one lived free from external disturbances.  In Greek, a quiet life is one lived with inner calm. Paul was describing a life marked by external and internal maturity, demonstrating great respect for others and for oneself.  Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for this type of life and to live it out as a witness to others that God was indeed sovereign over the life of a Christian.  This sort of life should be separated from political rancor, excesses of any kind, and having a gentle disposition.  I think about some of the contemporary churches these days with elaborate worship services complete with pyrotechnical displays, and I think, how can this be reflective of a peaceful and quiet life? That seems to be a display of worldliness with its rancor and noise.  I see preachers in the pulpit screaming about politics, and I cannot imagine how that helps people live a calm inner life.  We need to guard ourselves so that we can live a peaceful and quiet life, both externally and inwardly.

From a peaceful and quiet life, Paul moved on and said we should be marked by godliness.  What is godliness?  In the original meaning, godliness is a “piety toward God.”  Piety means reverence.  To live a life of godliness is to be reverent toward God, one who shows a deep respect for God.  How do we show reverence, respect for God?  We revere God in worship.  We approach worship with excitement of desire, not dread of obligation.  We want to start our week singing to God, praying for one another, soaking up knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, believing that doing so weaves God throughout the entire fabric of our lives.  Another way we revere God is by respecting the Scriptures.  We treat the Word of God with respect, gathering wisdom and learning its truth. God’s Word is attractive to us because it reveals more of God's light.  A third way we show reverence is by expressing gratitude to God.  Something as simple as expressing our thankfulness for the food we eat every time we eat is a way to show reverence to God.  So, in acknowledgment of Jesus as our mediator, who secures us to God, we ought to live godly lives, showing reverence for God and respect for Him.

To godliness, Paul adds that Christian lives ought to be expressed in holiness.  What does it mean to live a life that shows holiness?  It begins by living a life that is within the world but set apart from it. To be set apart is to live not according to the standards of contemporary culture but to live as an imitator of Christ.  We show holiness in being good, just, and humble toward others.  In doing so, we will be in the world and apart from it.

Allow me to give you a brief example from my life about standing apart.  One time, I was at the Department of Motor Vehicles.  Can you think of a place more inclined to bring out the worldliness in people than DMV?  I have never been there without seeing someone angry and upset.  As I arrived, there was a line, a long line, of course. I arrived to join the line about the same time as two other men.  I stepped back and let the two others go ahead of me—clearly, not a worldly thing to do. The two men then got into a heated argument as to who would be next in line.  Angry words were expressed, name-calling ensued, and threats were made. This is the way of the world. Neither man showed evidence of a peaceful and quiet life marked by godliness and holiness.  Finally, one man, whom we will call Bruce, took the next spot, leaving the second man, whom we will call Joe, to take the position behind Bruce.  Joe was not a happy man.  Several minutes passed, and the line inched forward, and many more people filled in behind me.  It was then that I looked down and found Bruce’s license at my feet.  It had fallen on the floor in the jousting to get next in line.  I picked up Bruce’s license and thought how frustrating it would be for him to finally reach the DMV agent, only to realize he no longer had it.  So, I knew I should return the license to Bruce.  But.  There is always a but.  But then it occurred to me that it might be better for Joe to return Bruce’s license. My thought was that learning to show and receive grace might be good for all of us.  So, I handed Bruce’s license to Joe, still angry at Bruce for taking the next spot.  I suggested to Joe that it would be a good idea for him to give the license to Bruce. Joe paused for a moment.  I wasn’t sure if he would throw it on the floor or do as I suggested.  With relief, Joe gave Bruce the license and let him know he had dropped it.  Bruce looked shocked at Joe’s act of kindness. He thanked Joe and then offered for Joe to go ahead of him.  The lesson here is that when we stand apart from the world with its anger, envy, and pride, we can see things more clearly and can use that posture of holiness to move others towards godly behavior.  Paul said Christians need to display holiness by standing apart from culture and showing and teaching that God is at the center of our lives, not human competitiveness. We should seek to threaten no one.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy was that, by leading by example, he must lead the church to understand that Jesus is the mediator of life with God, made complete through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  From that posture of understanding, then Christians should show godliness and holiness in the way they live.  Doing so reflects that our greatest need or greatest conflict in life has been resolved for us.  Our mediator has resolved the conflict between a Holy God and our sinful nature, and we have fellowship with God.  Everything else in life then is small in comparison.  Let’s live those peaceful lives, insulating us from the world's external noise while living quiet lives, calm within, secure in the knowledge of God’s love for us.  Then add to that godliness and reverence for God, and we can show holiness by living in this world, but apart from it.  Amen and Amen.