1 Peter 1:13-21 - Godly Phobia
- Chad Werkhoven
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Live in fear, but don't be afraid.
1 Peter 1:13–21 (NET)
CONTEXT: We read the passage that follows this one, which told us of the spiritual teflon that protects your soul from being stained by your ongoing sin, earlier this week. Our focus today is what it means to, as Paul writes in Philippians 2:12, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence [Literally: phobos (fear)]. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 7: Renewal to Repentance
God preserves in His saints when they fall
his imperishable seed
from which they have been born again,
lest it perish or be dislodged.
Also, by His Word and Spirit
he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance
so that
they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed;
they seek and obtain,
through faith and with a contrite heart,
forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator;
they experience again the grace of a reconciled God;
they through faith adore his mercies;
and that they from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
Summary
It seems like we always feel the need to explain that when the Bible calls God's people to live in fear, which it so often does, that it doesn't really mean what it says. After all, the whole idea of living in fear seems contrary to the Bible's message of confidence that comes from having peace with our Sovereign God and Father. So the Greek word phobos, which clearly means fear, often gets watered down in to words like awe, respect or reverence, as the editors of the NET Bible did here.
But today's passage from Peter's first letter really explains well how it is that you're to, as the Canons put it echoing Philippians 2, more eagerly work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And in general, the NET Bible translated the passage really well.
This godly fear certainly isn't a terror or dread, but rather an attitude of total focus and single minded devotion to God. It begins, as we've seen so often as we read the Bible together each day, with how you think. Peter implores you to get your mind ready for action! Christianity is not a passive, sit back and relax type of lifestyle! You're called to action by becoming holy in all of your conduct. And this action begins by dialing your mind in.
To do this, writes Peter, set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. In other words, keep your eye on the prize. Stop complying with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, and instead live out the time of your temporary residence here in fear!
Dig Deeper
Comfort breeds complacency. Most car wrecks occur very close to where the driver lives because the familiarity of the area makes it so much easier to be distracted. But when you're driving through an unfamiliar or more difficult area, you're driving with an increased sense of fear. This sort of fear doesn't paralyze you with a feeling of doom (if it does, maybe you better let somebody else drive!), but it heightens all of your senses and makes you a better driver.
Think of the times where life seemed to be crashing in on you. Maybe it was an illness, injury or financial crisis. Remember how much more you prayed and relied on the Lord during that time of trial? And now that the Lord has delivered you from that season, you can see how He strengthened you through it as you fearfully relied on Him.
That's what Peter has in mind here; live with this fear-filled intensity every day! But that's so hard to do so when life is, for the most part, so comfortable. This comfort so easily blinds you to the reality of this world, which Peter describes as ignorant; a temporary residence, an empty way of life, filled with perishable things.
Remember that you were ransomed - bought at a tremendously high price - by the precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. Battle those evil urges you used to follow when you lived in ignorance - those comfortable urges that lull you sleep and put you in grave danger - and live out the time of your temporary residence here in a healthy, godly fear.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire to get your minds ready for action so that you live each day in godly fear;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 1
