Right Living Begins with Right Thinking

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NKJV) – “13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
 
We don't talk an awful lot about holiness even in the church of Jesus Christ today. We talk about accommodating culture. We talk about "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". Yet Peter would immediately say, it doesn't matter where you are, you are to live your life in a way that reflects the Christian convictions that God has put inside of you. He has not just saved you from an eternal judgment in hell, but He has transformed your life. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature".
 
Something brand new has happened inside of you, which is unchangeable but can only develop and grow. This is described in Philippians 1:6, which says, “He who began a good work will bring it to completion.” God has started a good work inside of you, and He will carry it forward till its completion in eternity.
 
What is that “good work”? Why didn't God just take us to heaven? According to Romans 8:29, God predestined those whom He foreknew to become like His Son. In other words, our primary aim in life should be to gradually conform to the image of Jesus Christ, to become more like Him each day. Our goal should be to resemble Jesus more tomorrow than we do today, and more next year than we do now.
 
Has the Holy Spirit started to change things in your life since you acknowledged Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Are your tastes, conversations, time, and friends different now? Are the jokes that once made you laugh now uncomfortable because they do not honor or glorify God? If your answer is yes, then you are on the right track. But if not, it's time to reevaluate and make changes. A Christian should want their lifestyles to honor Jesus and glorify God. This is holiness.
 
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live our lives differently than those who do not know Him. We should not be surprised when the world behaves in a worldly manner. However, when the church begins to behave like the world, it should cause us to pause and re-evaluate our Christian walk.
 
How can I live a pure life in the midst of a sinful world? Right living begins with right thinking.
 
Peter says, "Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober." Modern versions translate this phrase as “Prepare your minds for action.” Maybe we would say, “Roll up your sleeves,” or “Put on your belt,” or “Put your shoes on.” The imagery is one of mental readiness.
 
In the book of Exodus, the story of the Passover is recounted. God had planned to send the angel of death to the Egyptians, but the following day all of Israel would leave Egypt with the riches of the land. God tells them to eat the Passover meal and “Gird yourself tonight” because the next day they would leave Egypt. He says they will be free tomorrow so be ready tonight. That’s the same phrase “gird yourselves.”
 
There's a story in the Old Testament where Elijah is excited about the possibility of rain that he outruns a chariot. Before he begins to run, he “girds his loins.”
 
In Peter’s day, as in these other instances, people would wear long robes. It was fine to walk that way, but when someone wanted to run, they had to tuck the ends of their robe into their belt, which would allow them more freedom of movement.
 
What does Peter mean when he says “gird the loins of your mind”? He's trying to help you see that the actions come after the thoughts. What we're doing today is in part a result of how we thought yesterday. Craig Groeschel wrote a book in 2021 entitled “Winning the War in Your Mind.” The whole book uses psychology and the Bible to basically teach us how our attitudes determine our actions, how our outlook determines our outcome, and how our beliefs determine our behavior. We are not just acting out of nowhere - we're acting because of our mind. Right living begins with right thinking.
 
Solomon would agree in Proverbs 23:7, which says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We think and then we act. Peter is saying here that before you decide to do something different, you're going to have to think something different. Before you live a holy life, you're going to first have to think it through. Prepare your minds for action. Don’t be mentally lazy. Don’t let just anyone tell you what to think or how to think. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” Think God’s thoughts.
 
The world says, “It’s not sin,” but God says it is. Think God’s thoughts. The world says, “I have to live this way,” but God says a Christian is free from sin. Think God’s thoughts. If you don’t take time to listen to God’s Word, you will buy into the deception of this world. Rick Warren once said, “Behind every self-defeating behavior or habit is a lie that I am believing.” Jesus says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
 
“Dear Lord, I admit that there have been times when I am mentally lazy. I pray You forgive me. I ask You to help me prepare my mind to think about sin the way You think about sin. I pray that I spend time in Your Word, so I can think Your thoughts. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.”