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The Scriptorium

Get Your Mind in Gear!

1 Peter 1.12, 13

12To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, and be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Story: How should we respond to the trials and suffering that come our way? Peter says we need to prepare our minds so that we can gain the victory from within. Note two things about this. First, we are to prepare our minds for action. We are to practice sobriety and hope as we look forward to the coming of Christ and our ultimate deliverance. Thus we may persevere in the calling which is ours as followers of Christ. The Christian life is an active life of good works, and not even the harshest trials must be allowed to turn us from our course and calling. Second, we must be sober-minded and keep in mind the whole context within which our trials come upon us. A sober-minded person has all his wits about him. He is not clouded in his thinking by some kind of inebriation of the world spirit. Rather, He drinks from the living water of Christ, and in the power of the Spirit, sees all of reality in all its glorious, unseen beauty (v. 8). Thus, by remaining focused on the reign of Christ and planning a course of good works, we may not only endure through trials, but grow stronger and more complete – just as God intends (v. 7). This was the message of the prophets, as they pointed God’s people forward to the coming of Christ (v. 12), and it’s a mystery so blessed and wondrous and beautiful that even angels strive to get a glimpse of it. Imagine, that this great story has been unfolded to and within us!

The Structure: Those who have been renewed in Christ are called to work for the restoration of all things, beginning right where they are. But just as a butterfly straining to escape the bonds of its chrysalis struggles and has to endure pain, so the Christian must expect to struggle against the spirit of the age in order to make progress in the life of faith. This requires a healthy mind, one firmly rooted in divine revelation and focused on the glory that is yet to come when Jesus returns to take us to Himself.

What specific activities do you engage in to strengthen your mind in the ways mentioned in this verse?

Each week’s studies in our Scriptorium column are available in a free PDF form, suitable for personal or group use. For this week’s study, “This is the Gospel: 1 Peter 1.13-25,” simply click here.

T. M. Moore

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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