Two men went to church one day to join in the worship of God.  Each man sat apart from the other.  One man sat in the front of the sanctuary.  The other sat in the back.  When it came time to share joys and concerns, the man in the front of the sanctuary stood to speak.  He turned to face the congregation and in a loud voice said, “God, I am thankful today. I am thankful that I am not like other men here.  Some intimidate others for money.  Others are unjust.  Some may even cheat on their wives.  And at least one takes in taxes on behalf of a government that abuses us.  God, I am thankful I am not like other men.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”  When the man had finished sharing his prayer, he sat down.  Everyone in the sanctuary sat in stone-cold silence.  Into that void of sound came a man’s voice, just above a whisper, coming from the back of the sanctuary where the second man had seated himself.  And the people heard, “God, forgive me, I am a sinner.”

            This, of course, is not an original story.  This is a retelling of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector preserved for us in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 18, verses 9 through 14.  Jesus used this story to teach the point that “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

            But this story also teaches us that some of the harshest critics, some of the most unloving people we will encounter, will be found in the church.  People with whom you share the worship of God, people you would expect to be caring, compassionate, and loving, sometimes can be harsh, judgmental, and envious.  Jesus knew something about unloving behaviors within the church.  Judas would betray him for a few silver coins.  Religious leaders, Pharisees, people who loved to pray in public, would accuse him of all sorts of crimes and then lie to the Roman governor, and shout, “Crucify Him!”  Jesus knew this fate awaited Him.  So, before these most unloving acts by God-worshippers occurred, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples.  There, Jesus washed their feet, expressing his love for them.  Then Jesus said this, “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

            Jesus' words to “love one another” were not a suggestion.  It was not a brainstorming idea.  His words were a commandment to those who would claim him as Lord and Savior. His words were a commandment and the single standard by which all people, those who followed Him, those ignorant of Him, and those who reviled Jesus, would know who His true disciples were. If people claimed Christ and loved others who claimed Christ, then they had proven themselves to be his true disciples.  Claiming Christ and being unloving toward others who claimed Christ proved they were not Jesus’ true disciples.  Clearly, Jesus understood how corrosive unloving attitudes are to the message of redemption and hope that He brought into the world.

            Jesus’ words had a significant impact on his disciple John, who recorded Jesus’ words in his gospel account.  John would go on to restate Jesus’ words six more times in his letters to the churches he oversaw.  John wrote,

• 1 John 3:11 - 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
• 1 John 3:23 - 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
• 1 John 4:7 - 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
• 1 John 4:11 - 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• 1 John 4:12 - 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
• 2 John 1:5 - 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

The Apostle Paul similarly spoke of the essential nature of loving one another when he wrote, “8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). These references give us insight into the fact that loving one another was and is an indispensable part of the Christian experience.  Remove it from the Christian experience, and Jesus said, “It is no longer Christian.”

And so, with that extensive New Testament background, I want us to explore Peter’s apostolic command in his letter to the exiles of Asia Minor to love one another.  Peter said this, “22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”  And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).

Peter, addressing these exiles in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, began by telling his fellow Christians that the ability and capacity to express love for one another begins with obedience to the truth.  Obedience to the truth, Peter said, purifies the soul. Importantly, Peter did not say obedience purifies the soul.  Peter said instructively that only obedience to the truth, not my truth, not your truth, but the truth, purifies the soul.  What is the truth that Peter was talking about here?  Peter had addressed the central elements of the truth in the 3 imperatives that preceded this one.

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).  The truth is found not in temporary things of humanity such as fame, wealth, beauty, and status.  The truth is found in the eternal, in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who were, are, and will be.  Our minds must be freed from the anxiety of a mortal existence alone, and we must see the truth that God created us in the flesh and spirit.  Knowing that we have hope for eternity through the grace of Christ Jesus relieves us not only of concern about where we will spend eternity but also of human pettiness, envy, and jealousy.

Peter then said, “Be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15a).  Peter encouraged the exiles to be holy because Christ is holy. Therefore, they should “not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14).  The truth is our human ways are evil in the sight of a holy God.  God said, “8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. 9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  The truth is that our old ways of doing things do not represent God’s way. There is an overwhelming sense of self-importance in our old ways.  We are, if you will, always the hero of our own stories.  We are, Peter said, acting out of ignorance.  That is the truth.  However, when we accept the holiness of God, begin to learn from Him, and conduct ourselves in a holy manner, what underlies our behavior is purified.

Finally, Peter said, “Conduct yourselves with fear” (1 Peter 1:17b). In fear toward God, our lives can reflect reverence and respect for God.  We come to understand the truth that God granted us mercy through the blood, through the death of Jesus.  That is the truth.  We are blessed not by works that we do but are blessed by the completed work of Jesus.

From this truth, Peter reiterates Jesus’ commandment and tells the Christian exiles of Asia Minor, “22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).  Peter understood Jesus’ commandment that loving other Christians was an essential part of the witness to the world, especially a world that was suspicious of Christians.  The original word here for love was the Greek verb agapaō (ἀγαπάω). It denotes unconditional, sacrificial, and active love. Unlike phileo (brotherly, emotional affection), agapaō is a choice—a commitment of the will to cherish, prefer, and act in the best interest of another.  This type of love is active, not passive.  It is a love that is consciously seeking association with the other and is looking, listening, and thinking in terms of how the interest, the welfare, the betterment of the other can be advanced. It is a love that does not grow weary of doing good for the other.  But Peter’s description here is not a love universally shared with all of humanity. It is a love that is to be shared between brothers and sisters in Christ.  Peter said further, “17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17).  Love (agapaō) the family of believers. To all others, show proper respect.  There was to be a difference.  The Christian community was to be to the world a “wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9b).

In some sense, Peter’s words might suggest that Christians have two sets of standards—one way of behaving toward the world and another toward other Christians.  But Peter was not emphasizing disregard for the world.  Instead, Peter was emphasizing the standard of Christ: “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  The witness to the world was not to be expressed in loving each other.  That would prove the genuineness of discipleship.

            Peter would emphasize the necessity of active love near the closing of this letter.  Peter said these words, part of which have become quite well known.  “8 Above all, keep loving (agapaō) one another earnestly, since love (agapaō) covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). “Love one another earnestly,” is the repeated commandment to make the love for other Christians distinctive, attractive, and self-sacrificing.  Peter added, “9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:9-11a). 

To that Peter famously added, “love (agapaō) covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8b).  Love (this deep, agapē-style love) forgives, overlooks, and does not keep a record of the many ways people fail or hurt each other.  This is similar to what Paul famously wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).  Love does not seek to hide sin or pretend that it is not so.  Instead, love seeks to forgive sin, refusing to let it destroy relationships, and not broadcasting or holding grudges over every offense. It seeks patience and does not change even when the other Christian falters.  Instead, such love seeks to lift the other quietly and in a restorative way, so that they can continue to contribute to the community of believers.

Around you today are your fellow exiles.  This is the community of believers to which God has called you and me.  This is the community that Jesus said you and I must actively love as part of the outworking of our discipleship in Christ.  Now do we exhibit love (agapaō)?  Are we actively loving, always seeking the best for others, or is our love more passive, in that we help one another, we uplift one another, whenever it is convenient and only for those people I know and like?  Do we keep a record of the “multitude of sins" others have committed, rather than choose mercy and patience instead of constant score-keeping? Do we say in our way, “God, I am thankful today.  I am thankful that I am not like others here”?

The kind of love Jesus commands of us is not an easy love. Neither was the love Jesus expressed an easy love.  Jesus knew the cross was going to be a horrendous ordeal of pain and suffering. Jesus knew that becoming sin for others would be a gut-wrenching experience for someone who had never known sin. But this was the love Jesus willingly displayed.  Why did Jesus do so?  In Jesus’ case, it was to cover over a multitude of sins.  Sins you and I have committed.  Sins that the blood of Christ covered over so that we could be born again with a new Spirit.  Since Jesus did that for us, how then can we not love one another?

Let us then take stock in how we love one another.  Let us love actively, and let the world see Christ in us.  And let us say, I do this for Jesus, for to him belong glory forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

          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.