A Call to Right Living

GOLDEN TEXT: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”—I Corinthians 10:31

WHEN one makes a full consecration to do God’s will it means that thenceforth his whole being belongs to the Lord and that his every thought, word, and deed is to be regulated, not to suit his own preferences, but to please God. This does not necessarily mean that all one’s time and strength can be devoted directly to the Lord’s service, for there are certain obligations which God wants the Christian to recognize as a sort of first mortgage on his time and means. But whether serving the Lord directly, or discharging the obligations which he outlines in his Word as being incumbent upon us, we are to do all as unto him, and to his glory. This is the thought of our Golden Text.

Consecration implies the giving of our all to the Lord, but he does not immediately take from us all that we present to him. Instead he makes us stewards of that which we have given to him, and expects us to discharge our stewardship faithfully by observing and obeying that which his Word outlines to be his will. He wants us to use that which is necessary of what we have given to him to provide for our own; and the remainder he wants us to use directly, and as wisely as possible, in his service.

I PETER 1:13-23—The devoting of one’s whole being to the Lord is the task of a lifetime, and to do it successfully and victoriously requires both diligence and endurance. This is the thought of the apostle in his admonition to “gird up the loins” of our minds and “be sober.” In the apostle’s day girding up the loins was considered a necessary preparation for a long journey or the undertaking of a difficult physical task. Peter applies the thought to the Christian’s mind, that it needs to be “girded up”—that is, to be prepared properly for coping with the difficulties of the narrow way. Today we would speak of it as being in the right frame of mind, or having the proper outlook on the Christian life and the trials that are certain to be encountered. If our minds are properly girded, we will be “sober,” or steady, and will not be governed by emotion, but by reason based upon the Word of God. Possibly it was the use of the term “sober” by the apostle that contributed to the selection of this passage as part of a “temperance lesson,” as today’s study is designed to be. We doubt, however, if the apostle, in using this word, is warning Christians not to become intoxicated with alcoholic beverages. No true Christian should need to be warned against such drunkenness. There is, however, a spiritual soberness for which all Christians should strive; namely, a constant, day-by-day devotion to the Lord, regardless of the hardships involved.

Peter enlarges upon this thought, saying, “Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.” Among the “former lusts” were the love of ease, of pleasure, of wealth, and of popularity. Spiritual intoxication results from lusting after any or all of these, and those who become thus intoxicated are not “sober,” and their minds are not properly girded—not under the control of the new creature.

Peter cites Leviticus 11:44: “Be ye holy; for I am holy,” and admonishes that we should consider this to be our standard. To be holy as God is holy means complete devotion to him and zeal in carrying out every detail of his will. God is thus faithful to us. We can depend upon, his word. He is not for us today and forgetful of us tomorrow. Solomon truly said, “There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.” (I Kings 8:56) Can we do less in return for his faithfulness than to be similarly faithful in our devotion to him?

God’s love for us was demonstrated in the gift of his beloved Son to be our Redeemer. When our hearts are touched by this love there is no alternative but to respond in full consecration to do his will as it is outlined in the Bible. It is by obeying the Word of truth in the fulfillment of our consecration vows that our souls, our lives, are purified and we are made “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”—Col. 1:12

The expression “born again” used in the 23rd verse, should read “begotten again.” Spirit birth takes place only in the resurrection. But the new life then reaching full maturity in spirit birth has a beginning, and this beginning is properly spoken of as a “begetting.” The “seed” of begettal, the apostle indicates, is the Word of truth. It is through the Word of truth that the spirit, or power of God, makes contact with our minds and hearts. Jesus, in fact, refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth.”—John 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:13

I PETER 4:1-5—Here the apostle uses another illustration with reference to the control of our minds—“Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind,” that is, the mind of Christ. In this reference the mind of Christ is seen to be one which endured suffering. Our minds need to be armed, or fortified, in order to endure suffering, and through it to remain loyal to the Lord. Satan offers all the allurements of the world in his attempts to draw us away from the hardships incurred by following in the footsteps of Jesus.

QUESTIONS:

What is the underlying principle set forth in the Golden Text?

How does a Christian gird up the loins of his mind?

How can a Christian be holy as God is holy?

When is a Christian “born of the Spirit”?

What does it mean to be “armed” with the mind of Christ?

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