1 Peter 1:14-21 Through Christ’s redemption, we cultivate divine aspirations to bring forth a new creation
1 Peter 1:14-21
Therefore, prepare 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. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Background
We are called to fix our hope on the grace revealed at Christ’s return where we will be transformed with glorified bodies. Hence, we must resist former carnal desires and pursue holiness, reflecting God’s nature. Redemption through Christ’s blood reveals our boundless worth where we cultivate divine aspirations. As redeemed beings, we aspire to be like God, to bring forth a new creation, and share in God’s divine glory to reign with Christ. Today’s devotion teaches: Through Christ’s redemption, we cultivate divine aspirations to bring forth a new creation.
Observation
… fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In view of the grace that await at the coming of Jesus Christ, we must not be distracted or stagnate, and instead, advance towards the divine perfection of God. This grace relates to the resurrected and glorified body that Christ’s followers will receive at His coming.
… do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you.
In so doing, followers will not be detracted or ensnared by their “former lusts”. “Former lusts” refers to the carnal desires that have not been adequately dealt with. Such desires ranges from outright malevolence, such as murder, to envy, and to worldly concerns. These desires may seem to vanish and then resurface at various stages of life, causing us to stumble on our journey towards perfection. One is never stumbled by life’s challenges per se but by one’s carnal desires. And our calling on earth is to overcome these carnal desires through life’s challenges, thereby attaining the holiness of God. This holiness constitutes the divine attributes of God and the mandate to reign with Christ.
… If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work,…
Concerning judgment, the Heavenly Father is impartial; He treats all individuals equally. He judges their hearts’ motives and the actions that stem from those intentions. God does not grant preferential treatment to individuals of certain religions, nor does He extend greater grace to those who seem to be more devout.
… you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb,…
That said, the entire creation has been redeemed by the blood of Christ. To redeem is to reclaim. After the fall of Adam, the world was largely left to its own devices. However, Jesus came to reclaim creation by putting an end to systemic evil (Satan), and to man’s inner evil through the new covenant. This covenant of redemption is established not with perishable objects but with the unblemished blood of Jesus, the Son of God.
… (God) raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The covenant of redemption is manifested first in the glorification of Jesus Christ, then by His followers through the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we encounter the grace of Christ, which is demonstrated through the fruits of the Spirit and the spiritual gifts. Upon Christ’s return, we will fully experience salvation by receiving our resurrected bodies to reign alongside Him.
Truth
Through Christ’s redemption, we cultivate divine aspirations to bring forth a new creation.
The redemption of humanity through Christ’s blood, rather than through material wealth such as gold and silver, signifies God’s boundless love for us. Essentially, He sacrificed His life to grant us the way for salvation to fulfill our highest calling. Christ’s sacrifice also reflects our immense worth that warranted such an offering. Considering this profound sacrifice, how ought we to respond?
We ought to love ourselves with the boundless love that Christ has loved us with, by perceiving ourselves through the eyes of God; recognizing our holiness, our abilities, our glory and honor. When we love ourselves in this light, we start to cultivate divine aspirations. When divine aspirations are manifested through the human will, they generate the most powerful force in the universe. This force empowers us to work toward transforming evil to good and bring forth a new creation.
How do we cultivate divine aspirations? First, we need to understand the three levels of aspiration.
– The first level is to aspire to be like God in every aspect.
Indeed, He commanded us, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY” (1:16). Believers are to be like God in love, wisdom and power. We are called to be fully, not partially like God in every way. Put it more clearly, to be all-loving as He is all-loving, to be all-powerful as He is all-powerful, and to be all-knowing as He is all-knowing. That said, there is one thing that differentiates us from God; He is the Commander, and we are the receiver of His commands. His role is to tell us what to do and our role is to obey. Apart from that, He has called us to be like Him in every way. With this aspiration, we spare no efforts to transform ourselves daily to be like God.
– The second level is to aspire to bring forth the universal utopia; which is the new heavens and earth.
Indeed, He commands us to acquire the “inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in the heavens for you” (1:4). This level builds on top of the first level. Without the aspiration to be holy yourself, you will have no aspiration to bring holiness to the rest of creation. Now, having experienced the divine holiness, abilities and the glory, we aspire to bring the same experience to all creation. This vision of the great utopia generates unlimited power, enabling us to surmount great obstacles.
– The third level is to aspire to divine glory and honour to bring forth the utopia.
The aspiration for divine glory and honour is key to bringing forth the new heavens and new earth. Jesus Himself aspired to this glory when He prayed,
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:4-5)
However, this glory and honour are not self-serving, but stem from selfless love. They are founded on the aspirations of holiness and divine vision of the universal utopia. The glory and honour of the believer are essential for they carry the mandate to unify all creation under God’s rule.
Application
See yourself as God sees you. For you are so much more than what you are on earth. Your worth warrants the sacrifice of Christ’s blood for your redemption to be holy as He is holy.
Picture a world devoid of pain, sorrow and conflict. Let the aspiration for that world flourish within you.
Picture yourself as seated beside God, full of holiness, glory and honour. Allow that calling to flourish, prompting you to abandon all worldly pursuits.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me to see myself as You see me: redeemed, holy, and deeply loved. Remind me that I am far more than what I appear to be on this earth, for my worth was measured by the precious blood of Christ. You have called me to be holy as You are holy, and I long to walk in that calling.
Place within me a vision of a world without pain, sorrow, or conflict: a world where Your righteousness reigns. Let this hope grow in my heart, that I may live not for the fleeting things of this world, but for the eternal kingdom to come.
Lord, help me to picture myself seated beside You, clothed in holiness, glory, and honor. Let that glorious calling awaken within me, stirring a deep desire to forsake every worldly pursuit that distracts me from You.
Make my aspirations divine, my desires holy, and my life a reflection of Your perfect love. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.