1 Peter 1:13

1 Peter 1:13

Outline and Commentary by Mark Dunagan

1 Peter 1:13 ‘Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ'

‘Therefore' -‘Because of what. have just stated..about the greatness and importance of your salvation.' (Oberst p. 68) ‘all the blessings, privileges, and hopes which he has enumerated; on these he founds his exhortations.' (P.P. Comm. p. 8) Receiving great blessings, as every Christian has, also brings with it. great responsibility (Ephesians 2:10).

‘gird your minds' -‘Lit., having girded up, the metaphor is suggested by the girding up of the loose eastern robes preparatory to running or other exertion. There is. fitness in the figure as addressed to sojourners and pilgrims, who must be always ready to move.' (Vincent p. 636) Lit., ‘the loins of your mind'. The loins refer to the waist or hip. The long flowing robe was gathered up and tucked into the sash tied around the waist. (Ephesians 6:14)

POINTS TO NOTE: 1. ‘refers to the gathering up of all improper thoughts, feelings and activities of the mind and restraining them that they may not hinder one's progress toward heaven.' (Woods p. 38). 2. ‘the aorist tense is used which signifies the decisive act of making up their minds.' (Lenski pp. 51-52) 3. Note that the ‘mind' must be prepared for work. Serving God involves serious business. The Christian just can't believe whatever they want to believe (1 Peter 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:4). ‘His advice is, “pull it together”…the opposite of mental slackness..Our thoughts, attitudes, and mental conceptions greatly influence us!' (Oberst p. 69) ‘Brace up your minds' (Mof); ‘concentrate your minds' (TCNT). 4. Get your head on straight, think clearly, watch your attitude, think on right things! 5. The verse also infers that one can get tripped up if they become lazy or allow their minds to be cluttered with vain thoughts. Unbelief is. problem that always has surrounded the people of God, and it is. problem that begins in the mind (Hebrews 3:12). 6. Here is. key to successfully living the Christian life. Christians fail to grow and fall away simply because they refuse to bring their thinking into line with God's thinking.

‘for action' -The NASV catches the thought of the readiness being stressed by this phrase. Serving God demands mental preparation. And the life of the Christian is to be filled with spiritual “action” (John 15:2).

‘keep sober in spirit' -‘well balanced, self controlled' (Arndt p. 538); ‘with perfect calmness' (Gspd). POINTS TO NOTE: 1. ‘complete clarity of mind and its resulting good judgment..For Peter the cares of this life and the pressure of persecution can “intoxicate” the Christian and distract his or her focus..' (Davids pp. 66-67) 2. ‘a state untouched by any slumberous or beclouding influences, and thence, one that is guarded against advances of drowsiness or bewilderment.' (Oberst p. 69) 3. It is so easy to become unbalanced in the Christian life. Our attitude can destroy or neutralize our effectiveness. We can starting thinking that no one wants the gospel, or that serving God is too hard, that the Bible is too confusing, etc….But the verse infers that one can remain mentally balanced and serve God with the right mental attitude (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

‘fix your hope completely' -1. Fix or set your hope (Colossians 3:2). 2. ‘Completely'-‘fully, altogether' (Arndt p. 810); ‘wholly, without doubt, ‘ (Vincent p. 636); ‘unwavering constant hope' (P.P. Comm. p. 8). 3. This statement is the same concept that Jesus referred to when He talked about not serving two masters (Matthew 6:24); not looking back after putting your hand to the plow (Luke 9:62); or when James rebuked the double-minded man (James 1:6); when Paul talked about people being tossed to and fro (Ephesians 4:14), or. repentance that has no regrets (2 Corinthians 7:10). This is. key problem in the lives to too many Christians. We end up struggling and finding no joy in our relationship with God when we are trying divide up our hope or place our trust in more than one place. We will be miserable and our growth and effectiveness will be hindered until we finally make up our minds to place all our trust and all our hopes for future happiness in our relationship with God.

‘on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ' -‘on the grace which is to be yours' (NEB);'on the blessing that is coming to you' (TCNT). If we view the Second Coming with terror, then we have the wrong motivation. The view of the Second Coming that truly helps the Christian grow, is the view that all our real hopes will be realized at that time. We can abstain from the temporary and sinful pleasures of this world, because they are poor substitutes for the real happiness which is coming with Jesus.