Loins
of Your Mind
1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins
of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
14
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you
is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation;
16 Because it is
written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of
persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass
the time of your sojourning here in fear:”
1. Be Sober
2. In Obedience
3. In
Holiness
4. Sojourning In Fear
1. Be Sober
Verse thirteen: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”
The “revelation of Jesus Christ” here, in this verse, is to the believers in Jesus Christ only.
The world will not see HIM at the translation of the saints which is coming soon [only the believers will].
When Jesus Christ comes for the body of Christ at the end of this Church Age, “we shall see him as he is” as the BOOK tells us in First John chapter three, verse two: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2]
The world [the nations] will see Jesus Christ [“the revelation of Jesus Christ”] at the end of the seven years of the Great Tribulation at Armageddon. “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” [Revelation 16:16]
This will be terribly an awesome sight, and will “sober up” all the participants of the world [the nations] from their drunken stupor of believing that they could set up a one-world government [or Kingdom] … without GOD [that is, Jesus Christ] being involved.
Now, this brings us to this question. What does it mean to be sober?
• To be sober is to be temperate [or moderate] in all things.
• To be sober, one has to be serious in deportment, and in demeanor.
• And finally, to be sober, one has to be calm in the times of stress.
There is something else we can learn here. Sobriety goes hand with hand with watching [the times and the seasons]. [1 Thessalonians 5:1]
Let me read from First Thessalonians chapter five verses six through eight: “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” [1 Thessalonians 5:6-8]
We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are commanded to watch for his return … and to be SOBER.
We are not only to “watch and be sober”
concerning the times and the seasons, but we are to
be “sober, and watch unto prayer.”
[1 Peter 4:7] “But the end of all things is
at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer.”
And finally, we are not only to “watch and be sober” concerning prayer, but we are to be “Be sober, be vigilant.” Why? First Peter chapter five, verse eight has the answer.
[1 Peter 5:8] “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
2. In Obedience
Verse fourteen: “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”
Obedience to the word of God is … the key to ALL happiness in life for the believer in Jesus Christ.
It is the proof of the pudding so-to-speak that a person loves God.
You say: “prove it! Give me chapter and verse.” Alright, I will!
Here it is in John chapter fourteen, verse twenty-one: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Obedience to the word of God is at the center of all this.
Do what to know something else? This obedience is to extend even to our very inner thoughts. Do you believe this? The Bible shows us this.
Read with me Second Corinthians chapter ten verses five and six: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” [2 Corinthians 10:5-6]
Our obedience to Jesus Christ shows that our thoughts are lined up with the BOOK [the words of God]. Amen!
3. In Holiness
Verse fifteen: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;”
The true Christian is to be holy while he, or she, is living in this old world. We are to “be partakers of his holiness.”
This is what it says it Hebrews chapter twelve, verse ten: “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” [Hebrews 12:10]
Now, brethren, this is a LOST truth within so-called modern Christianity. The vast multitude of those who profess in believing in Jesus Christ, look-like, smell-like, and act-like the world. They know nothing of God’s command to “be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
They seem TOTALLY oblivious to the fact that without HOLINESS that they will not even be able to SEE THE LORD. You can see this in verse fourteen:
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” [Hebrews 12:14]
4. Sojourning In Fear
Now verse seventeen: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”
Brethren, it is HEALTHY for us to live in FEAR of the LORD.
It is, as it says, in Proverbs chapter three, verse eight: “It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” [Proverbs 3:8]
• [Proverbs 1:7] “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
• Proverbs 9:10] “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
While we are here on the earth we have but a short time to let our lights shine before the lost people of this dead and dying world.
The health in our navels and in our bones will be evident to all men.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16]