1 Peter 1 (NLT)
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
Deliverance is realized gradually, but it must be rehearsed regularly.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. In many communities of faith, the idea of refining our understanding of God, tradition, and the Bible is considered a bad thing. Are you ok with these questions? How do they help you, or others, come to a greater understanding and closer relationship to God?
2. “Deliverance is realized gradually but must be rehearsed regularly.” Note the key that deliverance is simply realized gradually, not granted gradually. How does the patience of our Lord demonstrate His love? What does this kind of patience mean as you “rehearse” your deliverance?
3. If you’ve been redeemed, what have you been moved out of—not physically, but in identity? What old “places” (mindsets, patterns, identities) do you struggle to let go of? How can community help you stay rooted in your true identity?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. Consider the contrast in the frequently used analogy of “dying (to self)” and Pastor Trey’s salvation is something we “wake up to.” What is the significance you derive from the idea of waking up as opposed to dying? How is the one more fitting in this context as you consider your faith?
2. What is the difference between actions that would bring about salvation and actions because of our salvation? How much more impactful are these actions?
3. What is the difference between being holy in all we do and simply being good or nice?
4. Verse 13 begins with “Therefore…” — If we back up, what truths in verses 1–12 does this command flow from? If redemption is already accomplished through Christ, how does that change the tone of the commands that follow? Do you tend to read passages like this as pressure or as invitation? Why?
5. In verses 18–19, Peter emphasizes that redemption did not come through perishable things—why does that distinction matter? How does the concept of being “redeemed” confront systems that assign value based on status, race, or wealth? What does it mean to possess a worth not granted by society, but secured through Christ? How might this reshape both your view of yourself and the way you treat others?
For further contemplation, consider these prompts:
1. Conformity often happens without thought, almost as if it is the human default. What does it mean to live with intention instead? Where in your life are you operating on autopilot? What practices help you interrupt unconscious patterns?
2. Verses 15–16 call believers to be holy “in all you do.” What does holiness look like in daily life—not only in your choices, but in your relationships and inner life? How does holiness here differ from perfectionism?