"The Case for a Godward Life."
As an observer of American culture for more than half a century, I have come to appreciate how powerful a medium music is for expressing the pervasive ethos of an era. In the 1960s several of the hits by the British-born Beatles embraced an "almost anything goes attitude," a free spirit inspired by elements of a pervasive drug culture. Fast forward to today and perhaps the Lady Gaga song, "BORN THIS WAY" reflects the ethics our culture--Here are some lyrics:
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up 'cause you were born this way, baby
My mama told me when I was young We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on In the glass of her boudoir
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"
I'm beautiful in my way 'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way
In an attempt to be affirming and optimistic, the song, especially other lyrics, captures the ethos of a culture of tolerance and acceptance. Its message is whatever your place in life; whatever you face in life, God chose this for you. There is nothing wrong with loving whomever you choose; there's nothing wrong with loving who you are because "He made you perfect." So embrace who you are; you are already all you are destined to be. I don't know about you, but to me that sounds more like a defeatist narrative, a life script that says your starting point/your brokenness is an explanation of emptiness and a justification for sameness. So whose words will define our reality--hers or His--capital HIS?
Too often we allow superficial superstars influence our culture in the realm of morality, the very people who refuse to engage in a deep discussion of how to make ethical decisions because doing so might expose their superficiality. No longer is reason the basis for morality; it is now individualized and based on feelings--what feels right to you must be right for you.
But here are the options--we will either be lost in a sea of pluralistic relativism or we will find our place in God's will that will chart our course.
In the opening words of his first letter Peter reminds 1st century Christians and 21st century Christians, "YOU ARE REBORN." Speaking of God he says, "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope." (1 Peter 1:3)
In contrast to our culture where people have a sexual-orientation, a career-orientation, a family-orientation, a sports-orientation, a hobby-orientation, a material-orientation, a pleasure-orientation, as Christians we should be known for our Godward-orientation. Our message for today makes the case for a Godward life and describes what a Godward life looks like in some practical, down-to-earth, every day, ethical applications.
I realize that some of you here today may not yet be Christ followers (and we are really glad you are here), so I want to invite you to listen carefully as a visiting coach gives a talk in the huddle with a team of Christ followers who are here. I am sensitive to your hearing this because of a recent Facebook rant of an old high school friend & fellow teammate, who was railing against what he perceived to be the unethical choices of what he described as "so-called Christians." It may be an excuse but what seems to be standing between my friend and a Christ-following faith is inconsistent, inexplicable Christian conduct. So today I am calling Christians out for the sake of observers like my friend. As we witness before a watching world, I challenge you to conduct yourselves in a way that is consistent with your calling. That sermon in a sentence--"conduct yourselves in a way that is consistent with your calling"--sums up 1 Peter 1:13-25, as well as the entire epistle. The word calling appears 5 times in 1 Peter and the word conduct appears 6 times in 1 Peter. What follows in 1 Peter 1:13-25 is not only a series of rapid-fire reflections about how believers should behave in an unbelieving culture, but a sound and profound theological foundation for Christian ethics. Who we are and what we are called to do is firmly grounded in Who God is and what God has done and still does.
So let's take a look at what this Godward life looks like--
A Godward Life Is Sober-Minded (1:13)
1 Peter 1:13, "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."
The theology behind the "Therefore" is that God Reveals. He has revealed Himself in His Son (1:20) and all of history is headed toward the final revelation of Jesus Christ. So we live in appreciation of the grace we have already received and in anticipation of the grace yet to be received. So how do we live between the two grace-filled appearings of Jesus? Peter calls us to sober-minded living. We must not let our minds wander into the ways of the world which will inevitably impair our spiritual alertness. There are many things that impair our minds. Obviously, there are chemical influences like alcohol, marijuana, meth... things that are addictive. But there are also lusts of the flesh, lusts of the mind, lusts for power, lusts for greed, there is pride. A sober mind is an unimpaired mind. To "prepare your minds for action," translates the literal ancient phrase "gird up the loins of your mind." It is the picture of pulling up a long-flowing robe and tucking it in a belt so you could run in a dress. The idiom of our day would be to "roll up the shirt sleeves of your mind" or "take off the warm up suit of your mind" so you can get to work and move about freely. So, what things entangle your feet, or impair your mind, or trip you up, or cause you to stumble, as you try to run toward God's will?
The problem for many of us as Christians is we don't put thought into such things; we just get drunk in the lyrics, absorbed in the ways and thoughts of the world, trapped in the flesh.
Peter's solution is to realize that this world is not our home (we are exiles here). It is transitory and disorienting. So ask yourself honestly, toward what do my eyes gravitate? What are my eyes trained to hunt/desire? That is often what impairs your mind. So fill your mind with Holy images, Holy words. Holy things. Seeing God clearly through His revelation prompts ethical living. Right living of the Godward life starts with right thinking.
A Godward Life Conforms (1:14-16)
1 Peter 1:14-16, "14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions [evil desires] of your former ignorance, 15but as he who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct, 16since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
The theology that provides the basis for this call to conform is that God is Holy. Once we have reborn, we are God's children and the assumption is that we will be obedient children and we will resemble our Father. Just as obedience is not forced, the Godward life is not coerced; it is chosen. We choose whether we will be conformed to the pattern and passions of this world or the pattern and pleasure of God. There is a negative aspect--"do not be conformed to the passions" of the past when we were ignorant but there is also a positive aspect--be conformed to the character of God which is holiness by being obedient. In his commentary on 1 Peter Wayne Grudem observes, "The reason why some things are right and others wrong, and why there are moral absolutes in the universe, is that God delights in things that reflect his moral character (and thus his excellence) and hates what is contrary to his character." Every part of our life is to be set apart for God every day and in every way. You get to choose what mold you will slip into... you have to choose one. Why not mold into God's holiness? Right conduct of the Godward life is to be conformed to God's holy character.
A Godward Life Is Calculated (1:17)
1 Peter 1:17, "17And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,"
The theology behind this call to conduct ourselves properly is that God is Judge. When considering a course of action, or making a moral choice, we tend to calculate our actions based on immediate costs, consequences, and benefits. If the benefits seems to outweigh the costs, we go all in. The problem is that as Christians this holy God must be part of our calculation. There are several temporal, but also eternal ramifications, for our choices. We make all the wrong calculations and pay a huge price in this life. Recently, I heard Jon say something that really caught my attention, "The thing I find most terrifying about God is that He is fair." No wonder Peter calls us to conduct ourselves with fear. Scott McKnight puts it this way, ". . . if believers call as Father the one who judges indiscriminately, penetratingly, and absolutely honestly, then they had better live in fear of this God, for he is altogether holy and will judge justly." This fear is not one of dread or anxiety but a healthy sense of awe when as humans we realize we are always in the presence of the One who has our hearts monitored and our minds bugged; nothing escapes his notice--no thought, no feeling, no action. We live the Godward life having calculated carefully the consequences of our choices.
A Godward Life Is Inspired (1:18-21)
1 Peter 1:18-21, "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 blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
The theology that motivates us to pursue holiness and live in fear of God is that God is Redeemer. Reading between the lines it is as if Peter is saying that this holy God who is our Father and will be our Judge will not take it lightly if we ignore the price He paid to ransom us from the enemy. We have been ransomed not with silver or gold but by the precious blood of God's Son. The cross is the only true incentive for obedience. If the cross doesn't inspire and humble us to reorient our lives Godward, then what else will? The gospel is our true motivation. Christ's love compels us, not our love for Christ. With grateful hearts we understand that the Holy God that we may fear as Judge is also the loving God that we can trust as our Savior. That is the inspiration for the Godward life.
A Godward Life Is Purifying (1:22)
1 Peter 1:22, "22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love; love one another earnestly from a pure heart,"
The theology that undergirds this ethic of love is that God is Sanctifier. Though there is some disagreement about what Peter has in mind here, it is my conviction that he is not referring to our initial conversion as a past event but the sanctifying process of ongoing growth in moral purity after our conversion. In this sanctification process some think that purification happens first, and then we are obedient. But just the opposite is true. We obey, and then we are purified more and more by our obedience. This internal purification of our souls has an external expression--"sincere brotherly love" (an affectionate love) and an ethical appeal to love one another earnestly (with a self-giving, sacrificing, selfless love). Obedience that comes from a pure heart is most evident not in what we are saying, desiring, or hoping, but in what we are doing and how we are loving. So the lesson here is that we don't fall into love, we love into love. The key to transformation in the Godward life is to be the obedient loving children we were born to be.
A Godward Life Is Unstoppable (1:23-25)
1 Peter 1:23-25, "23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25but the word of the Lord remains forever.' And this word is the good news that was preached to you."
This is the other bookend to where we began--"you have been born again" and the theological truth that is instrumental in our rebirth is that God's Word is Eternal. Everything else is futile and empty, like grass that withers and the flower that falls. The "word of the Lord" mentioned here may refer to either the spoken message from the Lord or the written word as in Old Testament writings. Regardless, it is a reminder that God's message is alive and abiding, imperishable and indestructible, so anything anchored in and built upon that eternal word, remains forever. That is why the Godward life is unstoppable. I like that word--unstoppable. Kirk Cameron has a new movie coming out later this month called "Unstoppable." The promotion describes it as "a personal and inspiring journey back to the beginning ... to the origins of good and evil and how they impact our lives ... and our eternities. Reminding us that there is great hope." Perhaps we need the reminder that the story of God--His message and His mission are unstoppable. When we find our place in that story carrying His message and fulfilling His mission, we are unstoppable. In spite of the presence of evil and suffering in our world Christians are unstoppable. A dictator in Syria may try to snuff out the Christians, but they are unstoppable. As the movie trailer suggests, "life is stronger than death, good is stronger than evil, and faith is stronger than doubt."
If you have not yet started on this journey of the Godward life, you can take the first step today. Ask one of the ministers, or elders, or myself and we will help you begin the journey. Perhaps you have begun the journey but have been detoured. Today is your day to make a U-turn and get back on right path (the Bible calls that repentance). For the rest of us, this is a day to again covenant with our God that we will be faithful in conducting ourselves in a way that is consistent with our calling.
We have come to the end of our team talk this morning. As we break from our huddle, would you extend your hands in this direction and on the count of three we will say together--WE ARE REBORN!