1 Peter 2:11-12

Main Theme: The main theme of the sermon is sanctification, focusing on how Christians, as God's people, must resist sinful desires and live honorably as a witness to glorify God in a hostile world.

1) Exposition

• Context: Peter transitions from a doctrinal discussion of the Christian's identity in Christ to practical Christian living in 1 Peter 2:11-12. The believers, now identified as God's chosen people, are called to live distinct, holy lives in a hostile world.

• Verse 11: Peter calls the believers "beloved," reminding them that they are loved by God. He describes them as "sojourners and pilgrims," emphasizing that they are temporary residents in this world, with their true citizenship in heaven. He urges them to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against their souls. These desires are not limited to sexual immorality but also include sinful impulses like pride, envy, and materialism.

• Verse 12: Peter exhorts Christians to live in a way that is honorable among non-believers so that even when they are falsely accused as evildoers, their good works will ultimately lead others to glorify God on the day of judgment. This reflects Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:16 about letting our light shine before men.

2) Doctrine

• Sanctification

  • Sanctification Defined: Sanctification is the process of growing in holiness, becoming more like Christ. Peter calls believers to abstain from sinful desires and live righteous lives, reflecting their spiritual transformation.

  • Spiritual Warfare: This process of sanctification involves constant spiritual warfare. Peter teaches that sinful desires within our hearts are our primary enemies, and they wage war against our souls. Christians must actively fight these desires through the power of the Holy Spirit, killing the "old man" and putting on the new self (Ephesians 4:22-24).

  • Christian Witness: Sanctification also involves our testimony to non-believers. Peter encourages Christians to live honorably before the world, so that their good works can point others to Christ. This witness through godly living is essential, even in the face of slander and persecution.

3) Application

Personal Sanctification:

Peter's call to abstain from fleshly desires and pursue holiness is a practical guide for how Christians should approach their daily walk with God. There are several dangers to be aware of in the process of sanctification, and we must constantly evaluate our lives against biblical standards.

The 7 Dangers of Sanctification:

1. Pride disguised as repentance: Feeling bad about sin without truly repenting.

2. External righteousness without internal change: Outward behavior changes while the heart remains unchanged.

3. Self-righteousness cloaked in humility: Taking pride in good works secretly.

4. Avoiding good works out of fear of pride: Holding back from doing good out of fear of being seen as vain.

5. Complacency in spiritual growth: Becoming content with sin and worldliness because true spiritual growth requires effort.

6. Downplaying the seriousness of sin: Believing that certain sins are not as dangerous as they are, and therefore not dealing with them seriously.

7. Relying on self instead of Christ: Trying to defeat sin through our own strength rather than relying on Christ's power and grace.

Three Mirrors for Self-Examination:

1. The Mirror of God’s Law:

   • The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) reveal areas where we fall short of God’s standards every day. We must examine ourselves in light of God's law to understand our need for grace.

   • For example, consider the fifth commandment about honoring your parents. How often do we fail to honor authority in our lives? How often do we grumble against leaders rather than pray for them?

   • Use God’s law as a tool for daily reflection on your conduct, speech, and thoughts, revealing sin that needs repentance.

2. The Mirror of the Fruits of the Spirit:

   • Compare your life to the fruits of the flesh versus the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). The works of the flesh include anger, envy, selfish ambition, and more. Do any of these dominate your life?

   • In contrast, the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—should be evident in the Christian's life. Ask yourself, are these qualities growing in me?

   • By consistently evaluating your life according to the fruits of the Spirit, you will see areas where you need God’s transforming power to shape you more like Christ.

3. The Mirror of Christ:

   • Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ. Therefore, ask yourself: Does my life reflect Christ? Do I have His compassion, humility, and obedience?

   • Consider Christ’s sacrificial love and forgiveness, especially toward His enemies. Do you forgive those who wrong you, or do you harbor bitterness? Do you serve others selflessly, as Jesus did when He washed His disciples' feet?

   • Looking to Christ as the ultimate example of holiness helps us see where we fall short and need growth in our sanctification.

Hope and Encouragement:

• Look to the Finish Line: Sanctification is a lifelong process, but Peter offers hope—one day the battle with sin will end. Christ will return, and believers will no longer struggle with sin but will live in perfect holiness.

• God’s Grace: Be encouraged that sanctification is ultimately God’s work in you. Though you are called to fight against sin, it is God who strengthens you and brings you to completion (Philippians 1:6). Keep your eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of your faith, and trust in His ability to finish the good work He began in you.

Focus: Christian Identity, Spiritual Warfare, and Sanctification

1. Who We Are in Christ

• Verse 11: Peter calls believers "sojourners" and "pilgrims."

• Discussion: What does it mean to live as a sojourner or pilgrim in today's world? How does this perspective change how we engage with culture and society?

• Related Scripture: Philippians 3:20 (citizenship in heaven), Hebrews 11:13 (confessing that we are strangers and pilgrims).

2. The Battle Against Fleshly Lusts

• Verse 11: Christians are urged to abstain from fleshly lusts.

• Discussion: What are some modern examples of "fleshly lusts" (pride, materialism, envy, etc.) that wage war against our souls? How can we practically fight against these desires?

• Application: Reflect on one area where you struggle with fleshly desires. How can you apply the gospel to combat this?

3. Living Honorably Among Non-Believers

• Verse 12: Peter exhorts believers to maintain honorable conduct so that even when slandered, non-believers will glorify God.

• Discussion: How does our conduct reflect the gospel to a watching world? What are some ways we can display Christ-like character in difficult or hostile environments?

• Application: Think of a recent situation where you were slandered or misunderstood. How did you respond? What would it look like to respond in a way that brings glory to God?

4. The Westminster Confession of Faith

• WCF 13 (Sanctification): Sanctification is a work of God's grace, wherein we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.

• Discussion: How does the doctrine of sanctification as outlined in the Westminster Confession help us understand the process of growing in holiness?

• Application: How can we rely more on God's grace in our daily battle against sin, rather than on our own strength?

5. Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 75

• Q. 75: What is sanctification?

• Answer: Sanctification is a work of God's grace, by which those whom God has chosen, before the foundation of the world, to be holy, are, in time, through the powerful operation of His Spirit, applied to them, renewed in the whole man after the image of God, having the seeds of repentance unto life and all other saving graces put into their hearts.

• Discussion: How do the "seeds of repentance" grow in the life of a believer?

6. Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 35

• Q. 35: What is sanctification?

• Answer: Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.

• Discussion: What are some daily practices that help you "die unto sin" and "live unto righteousness"?

7. Looking to Christ

• Application: Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). What specific steps can you take to keep Christ at the center of your battle against sin?

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for strength to resist fleshly desires and to grow in holiness.

• Ask God for wisdom and grace in living out the gospel before non-believers.

• Thank God for the work of sanctification He is completing in you.

Monday: Pilgrims and Sojourners in a Foreign Land

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11 - "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul."

As Christians, we are called to live as sojourners and pilgrims, citizens of another Kingdom. This world is not our home. We out to be good citizens of the nations in which we live. But, let us never forget that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. We live here for a time, but our ultimate allegiance is to Christ. Our conduct must reflect that loyalty first.

Prayer Prompts:

• Reflect on how you can live with a pilgrim mindset, with your heart set on heaven.

• Ask the Lord to help you live as a citizen of this world well.

• Plead with God to keep you aware that your eternal passport is issued by the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tuesday: The Warfare Within

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11b - "...abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul."

Peter speaks of a battle that rages not around us, but within us. The fleshly lusts are not just external temptations, but internal desires that seek to overthrow the soul. These desires—whether for recognition, comfort, or indulgence—are like enemies entrenched in our hearts, and they do not surrender easily. Our passionate desires are enemy soldiers stationed with out our hearts. But we are not helpless in this war. Christ has given us His Spirit to resist these desires. We must remain vigilant ourselves. We must not stop fighting for the enemy within is persistent. Yet in the midst of the battle we find hope knowing the grace of God is more powerful than any temptation we face.

Prayer Prompts:

• Acknowledge the internal battle and ask for strength to fight it.

• Seek God’s help in identifying hidden desires or sins that need to be resisted.

• Ask for a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit in overcoming temptations.

Wednesday: Living Honorably Among the Nations

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:12 - "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles..."

As pilgrims in a foreign land, our lives are on display. The world watches how we live. Our conduct among unbelievers should be honorable. Our lives are a reflection of the grace that has transformed us. This does not mean that we will escape slander or persecution. No, even when we live righteously, we may still be accused of wrongdoing. Indeed our good works may be slandered as evil. Yet, our good works still glorify God, even when we are maligned. We are called to live in such a way that our lives become a testimony to the world, pointing others to the glory of God.

Prayer Prompts:

• Ask God to help you live honorably before unbelievers, reflecting His grace.

• Consider areas of your public life where you could better reflect Christ.

• Pray for courage to endure slander or false accusations with grace and patience.

Thursday: Good Works and Glorifying God

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:12b - "...that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Our good works are not merely for ourselves. Our good works serve as a witness to the world. Even when we are spoken against, our righteous living can plant seeds of conviction in the hearts of unbelievers. One day, when Christ returns, those who have witnessed our conduct may glorify God for the testimony of our lives. We do not labor in vain. Every act of kindness, patience, forgiveness, has meaning. Your life is meant to reflect the goodness of Christ to a world that desperately needs Him.

Prayer Prompts:

• Thank God for the opportunity to reflect His goodness through your actions.

• Ask God to show you areas where your good works can be a witness to others.

• Pray that even those who oppose you will one day glorify God because of your testimony.

Friday: The Coming Day of Visitation

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:12c - "...glorify God in the day of visitation."

There will come a day when Christ will return, and all will be made clear. On that day, every hidden work will be revealed, and every slanderous word will be answered by the truth. For the believer, this is a day of great hope. We look forward to Christ’s return, knowing that our faithfulness in the present will bear fruit in the future. Even those who now speak against us may one day glorify God because of the testimony of our lives. The day of visitation is not just a day of judgment, but a day of vindication and glory for the faithful.

Prayer Prompts:

• Reflect on the coming return of Christ and what that day will mean for you.

• Pray for perseverance in living faithfully until Christ’s return.

• Ask for a heart that looks forward to the Day of Visitation with hope and joy.

Introduction and Passage Focus

Will you please turn in your Bibles with me to 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. This morning we're going to be looking at just verses 11 and 12. 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 11 and 12. You'll be able to find that if you're using the New King James Pew Bibles provided for you on page 1076. 1 Peter chapter 2. We've just come through a lengthy period of time discussing who these people are because of what God has made them to be. They are regenerate. They're born again. They've been sprinkled through the blood of Jesus Christ. They've been elected by God. They are being built into a royal priesthood. A holy people. A household. The cornerstone being Jesus. And today, 1 Peter takes a turn. It takes a turn that's going to lead us through chapter 4 verse 7. So we begin a very practical section of Christian living. But we must not lose sight that everything that comes from this point until chapter 4 verse 7 is because Jesus is the cornerstone. And God has made us His people. So let's turn now to 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 11 through 12.

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Prayer

The Grass Withers. The flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your word. Father, we pray that your spirit would please help us. Lord, they'll just be words on a page. And they'll just be words from my mouth. that aren't worth anything unless your Holy Spirit is working. And so, Father, we pray that you would both work powerfully through your Word, but also in a real way in our hearts. That where we have calluses that have grown over, Lord, we pray that you would use your Word as a scalpel to do surgery upon our hearts that we might bleed again for Christ. Lord, where we have become dull, we pray that Your Spirit would give light and vigor. Lord, please, only You can do this work. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

The Christian Life as Warfare

The Bible's got a lot to say, about how we live our Christian life. And one of the key motifs or examples or pictures in which God is showing us what the Christian life is, is a constant battle. A constant warfare. Interestingly though, as we come into 1 Peter chapter 2, we're going to find out what that warfare looks like, and also we might be surprised about who the enemy is. And so I want us to go into this, and first we're going to look at the text, we're going to see what it meant at that time, and explain what some confusing things are. And then we're going to look at how, what is this actually getting at? What's the main topic this passage is addressing, as well as what does it mean for our lives? And, spoiler alert, this is about sanctification. This is about our growing more and more like Jesus. So first, let's look at 1 Peter 2, verses 11 through 12, and let's break this passage apart.

Christians as Sojourners and Pilgrims

First, notice who Christians are said to be. Verse 11, Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims. The apostle Peter writes the people and he addresses them as agapeti, beloved. These are not people who he's lording over, that he's a tyrant over, he's not somehow the king over the church, but no, he calls them beloved. They're loved by God and they're loved by Peter and that is how God thinks of us, loved us so much that he sent his own son to die for us. But notice, Peter is under no type of illusion or something like that, what the people's lives actually are like. What does he call them here in verse 11? They're not just beloved of God, but they are sojourners and pilgrims. Sojourners is what the new King James is going to call that. Foreigners. Or we might think about it as somebody who's an expatriate. They have their citizenship in another country, but they're living in a different place. I have a friend right now who lives in Jordan. He's a U.S. citizen, but he lives full-time in the country of Jordan. That's where he is. That's where he lives. He still pays U.S. taxes. But guess what he has to follow? Jordanian law. Guess what customs he has to follow? Jordanian customs. But he doesn't have all the rights and privileges of a Jordanian citizen. If we might think about it here, he might have a green card, but he doesn't have citizenship. He's only there on a work visa. He's a temporary resident. But that's what God says we are. That's what Peter's getting at here. We are sojourners. Temporary resident aliens. on this earth. That's who Christians are, sojourners. Those who are kind of next to the house but not in the house. But we're also pilgrims. Sojourners and pilgrims. These have a lot of overlap. The idea that the Christians, Peter is trying to get them to understand is that they are those who are not actually at home. They're on a journey. They're walking amongst people that aren't actually their people. This is what the idea of pilgrims is. This is what Jesus got at in John chapter 17. Jesus told his disciples that they were going to be in the world, but they were not of the world. When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he prayed that the Father would teach them that even though they lived in the world, they were going to be amongst the culture, they were going to be amongst the nations of the world, they were not of the world. Their citizenship was in heaven. Do you see, this is what Peter is trying to get across to these people as they're living in modern day Turkey, as they're suffering persecution, whether they're up north in Bithynia, or out in the west coast of Asia Minor, or over in Cappadocia, kind of over for the west. No matter where they were in those five different regions of the Roman province, they were sojourners. Resident aliens. Pilgrims. On a journey. and not yet home. And so it is to us also. You may have U.S. citizenship, but your ultimate citizenship is in heaven, not here. And that's what Christians are, beloved pilgrims and sojourners.

Abstain from Fleshly Lusts

But notice also in that life, as we're not quite at home yet, there's a spiritual warfare that's commanded. Notice he starts with, I beg you. That's to urge or exhort someone. This is a soft way of him commanding them. What's he commanding them to do? I beg you. Abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. There's this warfare going on. We need to understand the warfare that Peter's talking about. And so I want to look at the text and understand what is Peter talking about? What is this warfare going on? Because I think there's a few ways we can get kind of off track here. First is when he says, abstain, abstain from fleshly lusts. This is not just talking about sexual immorality. This is not just what Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount, right? And there's no doubt that it includes this, when Jesus says, if you look with a woman lustfully with your eye, you have already committed adultery in your heart, it definitely includes that. But this is talking about epithemia here, the idea for lust is a passionate desire. Actually, that word was used in chapter one, verse 12, God said that the angels desired to look into these things. It wasn't an evil desire to them, but it was a passionate desire. But what are the passionate desires that we're to lay aside, that we're to abstain from? Well, notice they're fleshly lusts. They're pertaining to our humanity. So I want to just give you a few examples here of what this could include, that this is a broad category. And so what the scriptures talk about routinely as these fleshly lusts is things that we might desire for self-gratification. Or glorification, sorry, self-glorification. Where we desire to have people look at us and think better of us and we want to puff ourselves up and be filled with what's the Bible call that? Desire? That fleshly desire? Pride. One of the desires of the flesh here is a desire to have a good name, but without actually good living. It's hypocrisy. We might have the fleshly desire to feel better about ourselves at the expense of gossiping and slandering other people around us. We may have the fleshly desire to lust, to passionately desire the worldly pleasures that are around us. Now I need you to hear this very clearly. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to have a nice house. There's nothing inherently evil with you wanting to not drive around a jalopy of a car. There's nothing wrong inherently with you wanting to have clothes. The question is what is the desire behind it? Is the desire behind it because you want to bring God glory, because you want to bless others, because you want to care for your family, because you want to do good things, or is it because you want to gratify your own desires? I got to tell you, our hearts sometimes are like black holes. We want, we desire, we desire, we desire, and the more you envy and covet and desire these things that you don't have or that you want, It sucks away joy, and it sucks away holiness. It takes our gaze away from God, and we just keep looking to ourselves, and we're never satisfied. I love the quote that somebody asked one rich, famous person one time. They said, how much money do you need? He's a multi, multi-millionaire. He said, just a little bit more. When's more? When are you satisfied? If you're like me, this will bring this world down to earth. When have you eaten enough food? Just one more piece of cake. That desire for, I want something more that's not for good, but it's for excess, it's just to satisfy me. That's what Peter's getting at here. These fleshly lusts, whether it's materialism, self-righteousness, self-gratification, any of those things, this is a full orb of what Peter is getting at to the Christians.

The Enemy Within

But notice who that enemy is. Who's the enemy that's waging war against our own souls? Number one, me. Peter is trying to get the Christians to understand that it's not the enemy outside of them they need to be primarily concerned about, but the one who's waging war against their souls vigorously is their own hearts, their own flesh, the old man that still dwells in them. Our true first and invisible enemy is our own hearts, our own lusts, our own desires, us, the old man. So that's the enemy that we need to be putting to death, that we need to abstain from those lusts, because indeed, I need to warn you that they do wage war against your soul. That's what Jesus said, right? Where do these sins come from? evil words and adultery and speaking lies and things like that, where do they come from? Right, the world wants to tell you that you were born a tabula rosa, you were born a blank slate, that you were totally neutral. And then, you know, the culture around you kind of corrupted you and perverted you. And Jesus says, oh, no, no, no, no, no. You were like a sponge wanting to suck it in. The problem was your heart. And from the deep recesses of your heart, that's where these things come up out of.

Slander from the Outside

But there is an enemy outside that we often focus on that Peter talks about here. Notice what he says in verse 12. Look with me there. Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, Gentiles meaning non-Jewish and pagan people, that when they speak against you as evildoers, Did you notice that? This is a hard transition to make. It's almost like, what? Why? Hold on. Maybe you're smarter than I am, and that's most likely true. Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, so you have honorable conduct amongst the unbelievers around. But then notice after the comma. That when they speak evil against you as evildoers. That's what we often are concerned about. That's what we're often worried about is, hey, we're doing good stuff, but people say evil things about us. Well, yeah, it's going to happen. It's always happened. It's going to continue to happen. That's what Peter is saying. It's not going to stop. It's not going to stop. You're going to continue to have good, honorable conduct amongst the unbelieving people. But when you do that good conduct, they'll slander against you and say you're doing evil. And this really did happen in the early church that Peter was writing to. It happened when they would round them up to throw them into prison. That they would make all sorts of legal claims against the Christians. Why? They were turning the world on its head because they were flipping morals. They were subverting the culture of society and it could be a cancer within the Roman cultural system. They were atheists. Can you believe that? The ancient Romans called Christians Atheists. Why? Because they wouldn't worship the gods. They would only worship the one true living God, and so we wouldn't bow down to anybody else. And so, well, if you upset the gods, you're gonna upset society. You upset society, you gotta go. Feed them to the lions. They called them cannibals. Why? Because they took the Lord's Supper. This is my body, broken for you. Eat. This is my blood, poured out for you. Drink." That was a real charge against Christians. They were cannibals. They were called incestuous, sleeping with their brothers and sisters. Why? Because one Christian man would marry a Christian woman. What did they call each other? Brother and sister. I'm dead serious. This is what happened in the Roman world. It's in historical writings. It's there. Tacitus writes about it. So Christians are doing good things. They're doing good things. They're slandered. One of the things that's interesting is this Roman governor actually of this area writes to the emperor and he says, I got this problem with these Christians. I interrogated and found out what was going on with them. And I found out that mainly what they do is they get together and they pray and they encourage each other not to commit adultery and they do these weird ceremonies, but they are breaking the law. So what do I do with them? Do you see, they're doing good things. They're holding each other to the ethical standards of God's conduct. And yet they're breaking the law. So what do I do? But notice, again, we're often so worried about who those are that are going to slander against us. Part of me is saying, they're just going to do it. Don't worry about it. Just keep following after the Lord's commands. But notice, what the end of that slander is. Look with me at the second half of verse 12.

That when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

This is exactly what Jesus taught Peter when Jesus told him on the Sermon on the Mount. Let your good works be seen amongst men, that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven. You are called to be salt and light. And the Gentiles, even though they may slander against you on the day of visitation, that's talking about the judgment day, when Jesus Christ returns. We don't need to worry. Because those people who slandered against you, or mocked you, or even persecuted you, hated you, because you loved, it's going to come out on the final judgment day who you were. And they'll glorify God with their testimony of your good works.

So don't worry about so much those enemies outside. Do battle with the enemy within. Do you see the weight he's putting here? He's saying, you got an enemy who's waging war against your very soul, your fleshly lust, put to death those things. Abstain from that. And your good works, guess what? The Gentiles are just going to do what the Gentiles are going to do. You just be a salt and light. Don't worry about what they're going to do.

Sanctification

So what's all this getting at? It's getting at this main point of sanctification. Sanctification, that's a $5 theological word. This is our growing in holiness, our being cleansed and being made more and more like Jesus. Peter's point in this passage is that we need to put away sin so that this is one of the ways we know our Gentile friends, family, community are able to look at us and say, we see the conduct of their lives. And they glorify God in heaven.

We inherently notice, though, as we think about just not doing these lusty desires, these abstaining, we're also supposed to be doing good things. We see that because they, in verse 12, they may see your good works. It's not just repenting of sin, but it's part of repenting is putting on holiness, putting on righteousness. But there's two major distinctions, theological distinctions, I need to make here for you.

Justification and Sanctification

Okay, now I need you to pay attention, because this is part schoolwork, but it's very, very important, because some of you are here, and I don't know if you're a Christian or not. And some of this, I don't know if this is applying to you or not. Because when we're talking about sanctification, we're not talking about justification. Sanctification is a progression in holiness, becoming more and more like Jesus, but you cannot become more and more like Jesus unless you have been declared righteous by Jesus. You must be first justified. This is what happens when you believe. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ that he died for your sins, you hate those sins, you turn from them unto God, you are justified, declared righteous. Every good work that Jesus did is yours. You are not guilty. But you cannot have sanctification without having first justification. You can't jump in in the middle of the race. You don't got the bib number. You didn't pay the entrance fee, right? You don't get to run the race if Jesus isn't the one who gave you the shoes to run. No, we are first justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and because we have been made righteous, now we run the race of faith.

You must first be justified or else all this talk of Christian living doesn't apply to you because first you need to come to faith in Christ. That's gotta be the first thing. So to speak of this distinction a different way, this is the difference between regeneration, regeneration and renewal. You've got to be born again before God renews your heart and your mind.

Are You Born Again?

Here's the first point of application, right, that's later on, but as I'm explaining the theology to you, I need you to ask yourself, have you been born again? Has the spirit of God taken hold of your heart that you hate your sin and you know the only way in which you're going to escape the condemnation of God and live forever is by letting go of that sin and clinging on to Jesus for dear life? If you have not had the Holy Spirit change your heart in that way, all the holy living isn't going to get you to the final goal, which is heaven. If you haven't fallen in love with Jesus, you're not going to like heaven because heaven's about Jesus. So you've gotta be born again, you gotta be regenerated, and then he renews your mind, then he renews your heart, then he renews your life. It starts with justification, it starts with regeneration. And then it moves towards sanctification renewal. You've got to start from the right point or else you end up in legalism. And we've got to deal with indwelling sin. This is a mark of Christianity. A mark of our Christianity is that we actually put away the sinful lusts that war against our souls.

Identity and Fleshly Desires

There is a theology, and I'm going to use that seriously, there is a theology of our day that what you are most passionate about, the most passionate feelings you have, equals your identity, ontologically, who you are. What you desire most equals who you are. And God says, uh-uh. That's an open circuit. That doesn't run. That doesn't work. No, no, we as Christians look and we go, no, no, the fleshly desires, the passionate desires that I might inherently want the most, I got to check every single one of those against the Bible and find out, is this righteous or not? Does this look like Jesus or not? We're going to get to that in the application section. And I have to put them to death. I need to put them away. I need to abstain from them if they're out of line with God's word. So we must go wholeheartedly against indwelling sin, these fleshly desires that wage war against our own souls.

Repentance unto Life

This is why I was so thankful in God's providence that we had repentance unto life as our shorter catechism question. What is repentance unto life? This is saving grace. Whereby we with a true sense of our sin, When the Spirit works in our hearts and we see sin for what it is, it's like vomit. Disgusting. And we grieve over it. We turn away from it. But who are we turning towards? We turn towards God. Because we know in Christ there's mercy and forgiveness for those sins, for that vomit. And we say, Lord, we don't want that anymore. And we endeavor after a new obedience. This is what Paul talks about in putting off and putting on. When we see our anger for the putridness that it is, we put it off and we put on patience, love, and kindness instead. And we had filthy language that polluted our mouth. It was like dog second-in-business taste in our mouth. We turned away from that and we realized we need to put away slander and gossip and all those horrible things we used to say. Instead, we try to build each other up. Instead, we try to impart grace with how we speak. Right?

When we see our boasting in our own hearts and how much pride we have, we grieve of it and we turn towards humility instead. This is the good works that Peter is talking about in verse 12. I'd encourage you to go pick up Ephesians chapter 4 and see that pattern. Put off, put on, put off, put on all over the place.

Seven Dangers in Sanctification

But as I was praying about this passage and wrestling in my own heart, I realized there were dangers in my own heart. These seven dangers are seven dangers that I'm telling you, this is me before the Lord confessing that I find myself in these traps all the time with sanctification.

The first danger of sanctification I find even in my own heart is pride disguised as repentance. As if when I'm feeling bad enough, it means that I've actually repented. But I don't actually have a heart change. I still keep loving that sin and keep coming back to it over and over. That's not what God's talking about here. That's not true repentance. That's not putting away, abstaining from fleshly lusts.

Another danger that I find myself struggling with is external righteousness without any internal change. There are some times where I will change my outward behavior just because I know it's going to get me socially in trouble if I keep doing that thing. But my heart doesn't actually grieve and hate the sin.

There are times in which our hearts can deceive us, thinking we're becoming more and more like Jesus, but in reality we just have self-righteousness cloaked in humility. We have our good works and we actually take pride in them in secret. We want personal recognition rather than God's grace.

The fourth danger I find lurking even in my own heart is avoidance of good works. Now this is what I'm saying, right? Our hearts can be like slippery snakes and we're trying to nail them down with a nail. It's tough, right? There are times in which we'll even avoid good works because we don't want to be seen as vain.

The fifth danger that is in sanctification is, honestly, sometimes if you're like me, we might want sanctification, but YouTube's a lot easier. Just turning on a baseball game is far more entertaining and pleasurable. And we just get content with sin, content with worldliness, because we just don't want to deal with it, because spiritual growth takes spiritual sweat.

And sometimes we become complacent in our spiritual battles. This is the sixth danger. We just become complacent. It's really easy for us to just kind of, as we think about sin, just downplay its dangers. My lying's not too bad. My slander's not too bad. My gossip's not too bad. My envy hasn't hurt my family yet. That lust hasn't worked its way out. You know, lusting after women in my heart hasn't worked itself out into actual adultery, so I can just keep doing that, right? There's all sorts of ways in which our hearts can trick us and turn us, and we just think, it's not that bad. We don't take seriously what God has commanded us here and told us, that these are waging war against your very soul. Satan wants nothing more than to devour you.

But then also again, this is what man, our hearts are just so slippery. Because just when we're like, okay, Lord, I really want to get serious against my sin, I'm going to fight against the sin, at that point we actually start taking our eyes off of Jesus and His ability to actually help us to be well put to the sins. Instead, we want to act like we're spiritually strong enough to put these sins to death ourselves. And we start relying on ourselves. And we're right back at pride again. And failing again because we took our eyes off Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.

So I'm trying to warn you because I'm telling you I wrestle with these all the time. If you want to be encouraged and read this in a more fun way, there's a book written by C.S. Lewis called The Screwtape Letters. And it's one demon writing to another demon. And this younger demon is assigned to a Christian. And the younger demon is asking the older demon, his mentor, for advice. And the older demon is just telling him, Once he does something good, let him enjoy that a little bit, because as he enjoys that good work for a little while, then the real work starts. Then he wells up with pride in his good works, and his good works aren't good anymore. I encourage you to go read The Screwtape Letters on this area of sanctification.

Application

Well, lastly, how’s this apply to our lives? I'm going to give you three different tests, and I'm not going to go through these exhaustively. We're going to talk about some of them, and chalk and talk, and theory. But three different tests I'd like to encourage you to look and honestly self-examine yourself by.

First is to test yourself against the mirror of God's law. I'm gonna have you, if you have your Bible that you brought from home, this is gonna be less effective if you are using a pew Bible, but if you brought your Bible from home, go ahead, turn in your Bible to Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20. Simon did this morning in our corporate confession of sin. As we look through each one of these, I'm going to encourage you, just rip off a piece of paper from your bulletin or something, put it here, and remember this place in your Bible. This is the Ten Commandments. And we come to the Ten Commandments, and we're able to just pick any of them at random. And we're able to see areas where we mess up and sin all the time. Our confession is so sure about this as it says that we sin every single day in thought, word, and deed.

So we just pick up something like the fifth commandment in verse 12, honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. And we're able to see that we don't honor our parents. We're able to see that, especially at this time when we were in a huge political fighting environment, God specifically ties the fifth commandment to those rulers who are appointed over us. And we love to bad mouth those who are appointed over us. I'm not saying it's not, I'm not telling you to be, you know, just shut your ears and don't think about politics at all and just let the evildoers do evil things who are in power. I'm not saying that. But how often do we grumble and complain against the president, the vice president, our congress members? versus how often we actually pray for them. We actually pray that they would be repentant, that they would come to know Jesus Christ, that they would make just laws.

And we will pick up, just pick up the 10th commandment, we'll pick up this 10th commandment, verse 17, about covetousness. When we look at the law of covetousness and we're able to see What Paul says about it, it's tied to the second, it's tied to idolatry. And when we envy and we desire something else that's somebody else's, we engage in a destructive, sinful, fleshly lust that its road will take you far further than you ever thought.

Do you know the number one reason for divorce in America? Financial problems. Do you want to know one of the number one reasons for financial problems in America? Covetousness. Dissatisfaction with what the Lord has given us. And so we want to have everything else that everybody else wants and we overspend and we go into debt and then that causes tension in the marriage and marriages are ripped apart, families are broken, children are messed up. Why? Because we thought, well, I just wanted a truck like my buddy. I just wanted my house to look like hers. But none of these are small things. They wage war against our souls.

So I encourage you, look at the Ten Commandments for yourself. But maybe those aren't explicit enough for you, that's fine. You know, Paul talks about what are the fruits of the flesh. What does it look like when we engage in our own flesh, Galatians chapter five, he holds no punches here. In Galatians chapter five, evaluate your life and ask, does this sound like you? Are you one of those that the fruit of your life is adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentious, jealous, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying? If that's what marks your life, Paul holds no punches there and he says, you're not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven if that's what your life is marked by.

Is your life marked by, when you look at the mirror of the fruits, do you go, does my life look like the fruits of the flesh or does my life look like the fruits of spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Be honest with yourself. Ask God to let you be serious about who you are.

Maybe the best test is to ask yourself, look in the mirror of Jesus. Does your life, if sanctification is this progress of you being made more and more into the likeness and image of Jesus, does your life look more like Jesus's? Does your heart look more like Jesus's? Do you have compassion for people like Jesus had compassion for people? Do you have humility like Jesus when he took off his robes and he went to the disciples feet and he washed their feet? Do you have obedience to God's will, like Jesus did when He said that He came to do His Father's will? Did your life look like Jesus, where you are patient beyond patience? Man, you look at Jesus as He deals with the disciples, and He was extremely patient. And yet, He had righteous anger. When He saw people being taken advantage of, and He saw the holiness of God being polluted in the temple. Do you have fits of rage or do you have righteous anger? Paul says, be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, nor give a foothold to the devil. When you look at Jesus with the purity of heart and the teaching that he gave of the importance of a pure heart, does that mark you or do you just look different? How about when even your enemies evil and revile you and say horrible things against you? Do you just hold them in an eternal bondage of your own bitterness? Or are you like Jesus, that while we were yet sinners, He died for us?

Man, I gotta tell you, the bottom of the Lord's Prayer is one of the most difficult things. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Okay, we're kind of okay with that, but what about after and yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, amen. And if you will not forgive those who trespass against you, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses. Do we hold people in an eternal bond of unforgiveness? Are you holding bitterness and hatred against even your enemies in your heart? That's not Christ. That's not Christ.

Do you sacrifice for God's kingdom as Jesus did? Do you tell the truth uncompromisingly as Jesus did? Do you even face suffering knowing that God has a plan like Jesus did? Look to the mirror of his law, look to the mirror of the fruits, look to the mirror of Jesus, and be honest with yourself. Do you still have room to grow, to be conformed to Jesus?

That's what Peter is getting at. Abstain from those fleshly desires, that those Gentiles, when they see your good works, will bring glory to God on the day of visitation.

Final Exhortation

And this is where I want to end you. I want to encourage you, urge you, or exhort you here at the very end of the sermon. It's been a long sermon, I know it's been tedious, but I need to encourage you to call sin, sin. Call sin, sin. Don't play around with it. When you repent, repent of specific sins specifically. See them for what they are, hate them for what they are, turn from them and turn unto God. But when you do that, cling to Jesus. And be encouraged, because He who began a good work in you will bring it about unto the day of completion. God is going to finish this work, but it's not going to be in this life. This is my next encouragement to you, is do not grow weary of doing good. Run. Run the race with perseverance, knowing that you will receive an eternal reward in heaven. God sees your good works, is glorified by your love for Him. And indeed, He is the one who is enabling you and propelling you towards the finish line.

And this is the amazing thing, there is a finish line. In this life, we are engaged in a constant warfare, abstaining from the sins of the lust of the flesh, which wage war against our souls, but someday, brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is going to return, and we will no longer be able to sin. Man, I don't know what that day's like, because I've never known a day in my life without sinning. But there will come a day when every tear will be wiped away from our eyes. When the battle will be over. When we will be able to rest fully, completely in Jesus. Worshipping the lamb who was slain. Because we truly know that when he hung from the cross, he said, it is finished. Look to that day. It's coming. Wage war against those fleshly desires that want to consume you, but do it because your love has glory.

Closing Prayer

Let's pray.
God, you are amazing that you would love sinners like us. Lord, we plead with you, we need you. To Father, we pray that you would help us to actually live holy lives. That we wouldn't just talk about these things, but Lord, we pray that we would turn to you and enjoy you above everything else. And that Lord, we would live lives seeking to glorify you, for we know that someday we will live in heaven. And even when the new heavens and the new earth comes, and we live with you upon that new earth, Lord, we know that our joy will never fade. So Father, we pray that in this life now, as we suffer and we battle, we pray that you would give us hope. Strengthen our hands for the work. Lord, we pray that you would please help us. In Jesus's name. Amen.