Cape Cod Church

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” 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NASB)

Today's thoughts from today's verses:

The key word this week is “preparation.” Today’s Scripture is all about preparation. Pastor Ben just began a new series on the Biblical character, Joshua, with the first week being about preparation. In our Devotionals throughout the series our considerations will run parallel with the Joshua study. In this week’s Devotionals, we will be entirely in 1 Peter 1 & 2. Being prepared to step into God’s plan as he opens it up to us and then become fully engaged with it, is pretty much the lesson from Joshua this week. While there are lessons from God’s plans for Israel under Joshua for us as God’s people in the present, God’s plan for the church is very distinctive. Understanding God’s plan for the church as it is outlined in 1 Peter 1:13 – 2:12 and then being prepared to step into it and become fully engaged with it, is our goal this week.

So, back to today’s Scripture and what it says about our being prepared for God’s plan. We are children of our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father is holy. His plan for everyone he has called and have become his children is for them to be holy in all their behavior. Having holy behavior necessitates leaving behind unholy behavior of the past. It is all about being obedient to our Heavenly Father and totally and completely getting onboard with his plan of being holy like him. There are three commitments that are essential for maintaining the pursuit of holiness for a lifetime.

The first commitment is to prepare your mind for action. To do this means you are making the choice to go forward in the pursuit of holiness. The second commitment is to keep sober in spirit. This means you are seriously determined to keep at the pursuit of holiness no matter what. The third commitment is to fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This means that all along the way you are locked into the consummation of your becoming totally holy by the grace of Jesus Christ when he is revealed at the end.

In a very real sense God counts on us to prepare to act on his plan for the pursuit of holiness. Our pursuit of holiness throughout our lifetime is really preparation for the consummation of holiness that we will experience by grace at the end. This work of grace will be our final preparation for spending eternity with God in the perfection of heaven.

Today's prayer response from today's thoughts:

Lord, I recognize you are in the business of redemption. Thank you for redeeming me. I also recognize that you redeemed me for the purpose of making me holy. I choose to go forward in full pursuit of holiness. Prepare me for all that lies ahead as you fulfill your plan of holiness in my life. Amen!