The objective of this lesson: to stress foundation attitudes of Christian obedience to God.
How do people react when they understand that they are important to God? What is the appropriate human response? Is any human response to God necessary?
These are questions people frequently ask today about salvation. The key question is how are we supposed to react to God's incredible gifts? Today's lesson focuses on the way Peter said we as Christians should react.
After Peter emphasized the gifts God offered people in salvation, he stressed the appropriate response of those who accepted Jesus Christ. First, they would mentally ("gird up the loins of your mind") and bodily ("action") prepare themselves for serious involvement in their salvation. Second, they would consider themselves "obedient children," and that would significantly affect the way they lived. Third, they would regard their commitment to holiness as their life's most serious commitment. Fourth, in recognition of God's incredible investment in their salvation, they would hold God in profound respect (their "fear" is not the fear of terror, but the fear of sincere respect that makes a person intensely self-conscious instead of flippant or arrogant).
This is a general summation of appropriate reaction to God's kindness. Obviously, it is a "get involved" reaction rather than a "sit and do nothing" reaction.
The images Peter used were down-to-earth and most insightful. Peter used images from the common person's life, images that would be readily understood. Please consider and learn from Peter's images.
These are images geared toward the realities of the common person (the majority of people in the first century were poor people, with a small middle class and even smaller wealthy class). These are images that typify the lives of the majority, images that most people would understand instantly.
The first image had to do with common clothing for men and women. We would best understand the outer clothing as some type of robe. Garments with long skirts get in the way of most physical tasks! If a person was going to work hard doing physical labor, the first thing a man would want to do was limit any handicaps to his efforts. Often men wore what we would call a belt around their waist. Preparation for hard, prolonged, physical work involved getting ready to work. Preparation included tucking that lower robe into your belt so it would not get in the way of your work. This was a conscious, intentional preparation for a prolonged time of physical exertion. The person knew he had a demanding task ahead of him, and he planned to commit himself to the task without reservation--there was no "half-heartedness" in his preparation and commitment!
Outer garments for most people of the first century in the Mediterranean and Palestine area would be described by us as a flowing robe. The majority of people could not afford numerous changes of clothing. Often the outer garment had to be suitable for everyday social life and work. Commonly, men would either discard the robe or gather up the skirt of the robe so that clothing would not hinder the person as he did the task (see John 21:7 as an example--imagine how difficult it would be to cast a fishing net in a robe). When the outer garment was gathered up, it was tucked under the girdle (belt) to be stored out of one's way. One did not "gird up his loins" unless he committed himself to a task. Such indicated serious commitment.
To be certain, this was not a "please do it for me" effort. This was a personal effort that fully anticipated hard work. One entered the task expecting it to be demanding physical effort! We do people no favor when we convince them "it is easy to be a Christian." When people who expect ease confront hard choices and demanding effort, they become discouraged easily. Christians should never equate "ease" with "worth the effort." Living for God will be worth the effort, but will never be easy. We should never think opposing Satan is easy! Possible with God's help--YES! Easy--NO!
One did not "gird up his loins" if he expected another to do the task. It was the act of a person who knew he was going to work hard physically and was preparing himself to work. Salvation involves hard work. Such commitment should be anticipated. The person commits himself to hard work when he (she) accepts salvation as God's gift. The work is not done to earn the salvation, but to show appreciation for the salvation.
The second image is that of "obedient children." In every generation there are children who obey and children who do not. If a child does not yield to appropriate authority, he or she does so to his or her own hurt (that is the "discipline" illustration in Hebrews 12:3-7). Two qualities of obedient children stood out. (1) First, they were respectful. They honored appropriate authority. They recognized they (a) did not know everything and (b) made mistakes which needed to be corrected. (2) Second, the child wished to become like his father. In societies that placed great emphasis on the value and significance of extended families, children commonly wanted to be like their fathers. The significance of that fact was applied to godly people being shaped by God's behavior in Matthew 5:44, 45. In those societies, it was frequent and appropriate for obedient children to aspire to be like their fathers. It is appropriate for Christians to allow God to be their example.
Obedient children wanted to model their fathers whom they respected. It was a compliment to have someone say, "You are obviously 'X's' son (or daughter)." For them to follow God as their Father meant they wished to reflect God's character in their actions.
When a child becomes a parent, he or she understands the value and the purpose of obedience in children. In this instance, the adult human must see himself as the child in need and God as the Father who supplies the human need.
Nothing reveals the value of being an obedient child as does being a parent.
The third image Peter used was the image of holiness. Even in the south, people live in a very secular society. There is a conscious effort in the American nation to become even more secular. There is a deliberate attempt to separate all expression of government from all expressions of religion. Because of this atmosphere, it is difficult for us to appreciate fully Peter's point.
Our "real life circumstances" hinder our grasp of Peter's point. Caution: do not get into a detailed discussion of views concerning our society's attempts to separate church and state. That discussion is a valid discussion; it is just not the point of this lesson. The point: they were quite accustomed to a relationship between the government and deity that we are not accustomed to.
In the first century (and before), it was unthinkable that a society anywhere would separate government and its influences from the gods and their influences. If one visited a city, there were temples and religious buildings in use in the immediate area of government buildings in use. Commonly, religious holidays were also national holidays. They wanted the gods involved in governmental decisions and governmental works. It was unthinkable that a prominent government figure would not consult the gods prior to an important decision.
This was a common situation in predominantly gentile cities where gentiles controlled civic affairs.
Even Israel was a theocracy--a government ruled by God. Frequently, even kings less than good consulted God through God's spokesman (for an example, consider Saul in 1 Samuel 15 and especially note verses 24 and 28; also consider the kings in 2 Kings 3:10-12). Judges and kings ruled as human directors of government, but it was understood that God ruled them. Their rulings always were to be consistent with God's intents.
This was the devout Jew's attitude toward a Jewish king in Israel. For examples, see 1 Samuel 24:8-15 and 26:13-16.
The holiness of God demanded Christians be committed to holiness.
The fourth image Peter used is understood in any age--money. Precious things were acquired with the most valuable form of money they knew--silver and gold. Their salvation was acquired by something more precious than the most valuable form of money they knew. Money did not purchase their salvation. The blood of God's Messiah (Christ and Messiah are the same concept: Messiah is Hebrew; Christ is Greek) purchased their salvation. That blood meant more to God than any amount of silver and gold.
The most valuable form of human wealth was insignificant when compared to the price God paid for human salvation.
Christians have a profound awareness of the value of people to God.
Awareness of the gifts God gave in our salvation and the price God paid for our salvation stresses the value of people to God.
For Thought and Discussion
In the discussion, stress it was an image of preparation for physical work that anticipated endurance. Note the commitment involves the mind.
In the discussion, stress it was the image of a child who wished to please and reflect his father.
In the discussion, stress it was an image that emphasized the importance of separation from evil. Since the Father has no sin in Him, the children seek to separate themselves from all forms of evil.
In the discussion, stress the image declares that salvation is a serious opportunity involving enormous cost. Its enormous cost demands that those who receive it do so seriously.
He took the images from common people's lives.
They have a profound awareness of the importance of people to God.
In this discussion emphasize that every aspect of God's involvement in our salvation was a serious, determined commitment.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2