2.03.10. Obedient children
X. OBEDIENT CHILDREN.
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.” — 1 Peter 1:13-14.
ETEE, like his beloved brother Paul, was thoroughly familiar with the relation between doctriifie and life. In the writings of both apostles these two themes continually emerge in company; nor is the mingling irregular or accidental. Everywhere they stand related as roots and fruits. Out of truth revealed springs duty performed. Living faith shows itself by the fruits which it bears; and if it be barren, it is accounted dead. The link of connection in this passage is brought fully into view: “Wherefore gird up the loins,” etc. At this point the teacher changes his theme, and launches into a series of precepts for practice. In the preceding portion we have a list of doctrines revealed, and in the subsequent portion a list of duties enjoined. But it is not enough to observe that these two lie near each other; they are welded into one like the links of a chain. The long, connected series of doctrines contained in 1 Peter 1:1-12 seem like the row of jars constituting an electric battery; and the combined power of the whole is at 1 Peter 1:13 discharged into the field of duty, in order there to generate a force which will send a life spinning forward, “ fruitful in every good work,’ It is thus that doctrines are always in Scripture utilized as the motive-power of duty, according to the fundamental principle laid down by Paul in Romans 3:31 : “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Activity, as opposed to indolence; sobriety, as opposed to vanity or vice; and a cheerful hope, instead of a sluggish despondency, — these are the proper characteristics of one who bears the name of Christ and hopes in his merty. The obedience demanded and expected in the gospel is not the mere external act. Dead works do not serve the living God. There is a body, indeed, but there is a soul in it. The precept is not generally “ obedient,” but specifically “ as obedient children.” A slave’s obedience is not accepted; there must be a child’s love.
We touch here, indeed, a fundamental characteristic of the gospel. We do not first work our way into sonship.
We obtain sonship as a free gift; and then we work to please the Giver, because we love him who first loved us. A true child serves his father not from fear of punishment or hope of reward, but spontaneously from love. It is the child’s delight to anticipate and fulfil his parent’s wishes, he would be wretched if he were prevented. This, as far as things of time may be compared with those of eternity, is the kind of obedience that our Father in heaven desires and accepts. Thus the expression, “ as obedient children,” is not merely a figure of speech, but a specific definition of the thing required. Our Father is served by sons, not by slaves, A clause follows of great significance for us — “ Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts.” The expression occurs only once elsewhere in the New Testameni - Romans 12:2, “ Conformed to this world.” It is a word with a wide scope; it is almost a picture. It presents a man bent on some particular pursuit, with body and mind all alert, his eye looking and his hand stretching in that direction. He is, moreover, girt and accoutred expressly for this object; as a diver or a hunter, each prepared for his work. Ah, Christian, you are acting imlike your name and place when you devote your mind and your energies to worldly lusts! But in this case a very remarkable epithet is applied to these unworthy pleasures; they are called “ the former lusts.” A disciple of Christ is past them; they lie behind him now. He has done with them. An epoch is here marked in a human life, and some parts of a man’s experience are said to have passed before it. The grand epoch which marks the dates of the civilized world is the birth of Christ. We constantly employ the letters A. D. (the year of our Lord) to mark the age of events. It so happens that in a very precise sense this is the epoch which Peter employs in the text. These lusts were the pursuit of the people’s life “ before “ some specific event. And what event was that? The birth of Christ in themselves. Before Christ was formed in them, in their regeneration, these lusts occupied them; but after that event, they were left behind. The apostle’s exhortation is, that these vain or vile pleasures should be left, as the tasks of Egypt were left behind the Hebrews when the Red Sea was placed between them and the house of bondage.
It is further said that it was “ in their ignorance “ that these lusts had any power over them. A human soul would not succumb to these ignoble masters, unless it were void of understanding. Evil spirits, according to Paul, are “ rulers of the darkness of this world: “ if the world were not in darkness, they would not be permitted to rule. When a man is mastered by the appetite for wealth, it is in ignorance. He says, “ Soul, take thine ease; thou hast much goods laid up for many years.” But the Lord replies, *’ Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”
I have heArd a reflection often expressed by thoughtful country people when they saw a great draught horse meekly submitting to be bridled and led away to labour by a child: “If the brute creatures knew their own strength, they would not submit to the yoke and the lash.”
These mighty quadrupeds could trample down the stripling that puts bits in their mouths. Yet they submit to whatever their master imposes, ignorant of their own strength.
Oh, if man, (Jod’s greatest creature, knew his strength, he would not submit to be the slave of vile passions! Strong men in multitudes are in our country led not only to the yoke, but even to the shambles, by the appetite of intemperance. This possessing spirit says to the right arm. Do this, and he doeth it; to the foot, Go thither, and he goeth.
Oh that these captives, driven openly in gangs, not through the marshes of interior Africa, but along the streets of British cities, were at last set free!
Hear ye Him: “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Their Redeemer is strong. “ If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”