[Read 1 Peter 1:13-25]
I have to begin by saying that I never imagined I would ever use this song in a sermon illustration. Never. Ever. So, bear with me a bit. I think it actually can help us see things in a different light.
I don’t remember when the song first came out, but I still remember it. I don’t remember it because it was that good. I don’t recommend the song. This song was written by Neal McCoy and it is called, “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On.” Do any of you remember that song? Maybe all of you have lived much holier lives than me and have never heard it. Anyway, the chorus of the song goes, “He’s on the dance-floor yelling Freebird; Singing off pitch but he knows every word; Grabs him another girl and he holds on tight; Now he’s chasing everything in sight; He’ll fall apart when he gets home; Right now his worries are gone; Life looks good, good, good, Billy’s got his beer goggles on.” (Quite a contrast from quoting John Calvin, isn’t it?)
If you didn’t get the gist from hearing the chorus, the idea of “beer goggles” is that once someone gets a few beers in them, they start to see the world around them differently—and not accurately. They begin to think they are a good singer…when they’re not. They begin to think they can dance…when they cannot. They begin to think unattractive people are attractive. They even begin to think that life is good, good, good…when it’s not. In reality, when he gets home he’s going to fall apart. Beer Goggles distort reality.
Scripture tells us that we’re all walking around with Beer Goggles on to some degree. Our sinful nature distorts reality—causes us to walk around in a drunken fog. Our sinful nature causes us to think we can do things that we cannot do. It causes us to think things are attractive when they are not. It causes us to think that things are good, good, good; when they are falling apart. Our sinful nature distorts reality.
So, like I mentioned last week, we need our vision to clear up. We need to see things rightly. We need to see things as they really are. So, in last week’s passage, we heard that we are able to SEE things rightly when we are born again. That’s when we begin to see the Kingdom of God. Yet, this week’s passage adds another dimension to that. It says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23, NIV). We’ve been born again—which helps us to see things clearly—and we’ve been born again THROUGH the living and enduring Word of God.
This is why John Calvin says this about scripture, “For just as eyes, when dimmed with age or weakness or by some other defect, unless aided by spectacles, discern nothing distinctly; so, such is our feebleness, unless Scripture guides us in seeking God, we are immediately confused.” (Institutes, 1.14.1). It is through scripture that we begin to see things clearly. God’s Word acts as corrective lenses to help us to see things as they really are. They provide a correction for the Beer Goggles we daily walk around with. Scripture helps us to begin seeing attractive things as truly attractive and unattractive things as unattractive. Scripture helps us to begin to clearly see what we can and cannot do. Scripture helps us to truly see whether things are good, good, good or if they’re a mess. God’s Word helps to clear things up and helps us to see reality.
We begin to see that God’s Word is living and abiding, that “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24–25, NIV). We begin to see that God’s Word will endure forever in the midst of many things that are fading away.
Then, as we see reality, we begin to see Jesus Christ more clearly. We begin to see that “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:20–21, NIV). We begin to see our own sin and our need of salvation. We begin to see that things are much worse for us than we’ve imagined—that we’ve fallen further into sin than we’d thought. Yet, we also get to see the glory of God’s salvation. We begin to see that Jesus came into the world to live, die, and rise again FOR OUR SAKE. We get to see that even though we’ve been wandering around drunk in our sinfulness, God will come in and pull us out of our drunken stupor, forgive us, cleanse us, and put our feet on a solid rock. He will do that for all who turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and trust him alone for their salvation.
In the midst of this, we begin to see that our “faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:20-21, NIV), not in all of these other things that pass away—not all these other things that look attractive with our Beer Goggles on. Our faith and hope are in God ALONE. So, Peter says, “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV). Since our faith and hope are in God ALONE, we need to set our hope FULLY on God and the grace that comes through Jesus Christ.
We need to take a moment to make this really clear. Our faith and hope are in God ALONE—nothing else. We are to set our hope FULLY on the grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ—nothing else. That means, that in the difficult time we find ourselves in—right now—our ONLY hope must be God and the grace that comes through Jesus Christ. That’s where our hope must be placed. Since we have Beer Goggles on, we will be tempted to place our hope in the wrong places. We will be tempted to place our hope in all the things I mentioned last week: government, medicine, science, money, power, ourselves. Yet, if we place our hope in any of these things, it’s because we have Beer Goggles on and are NOT SEEING THINGS CLEARLY. Our only hope comes from God and his grace through Jesus Christ.
And, Peter recognizes this difficulty. That’s why he tells us HOW to set our hope fully on God’s grace. We are to set our hope fully on God “with minds that are alert and fully sober” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV). Our temptation—especially in difficult times—is to walk around in a drunken stupor—with beer goggles on. So, Peter says, we need to have our minds alert and we need to be fully sober. We need to wake up and take the beer goggles off. That’s the only way we will be able to set our hope FULLY on God’s grace.
One of the ways we do that is by reading God’s Word. Like I already mentioned, God’s Word functions like corrective lenses, clearing up the distortion of our Beer Goggles. Yet, it’s also “…alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). The Word of God cuts through all our distortions and gets to our heart. It’s a weapon to fight off temptations and lies. It wakes us up to reality, clears up our vision, and gives us hope.
The Word of God also “…is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NIV). The Word of God is not only useful for clearing up our vision, but also equipping us to live in the world—equipping us for every good work.
Thoughts and Actions are always connected in Scripture. The way we think affects the way we live. So, not only is scripture helpful in giving us hope, but it also equips us for holy living in the world.
That’s why Peter goes on to say, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”” (1 Peter 1:14–16, NIV). As we live out our hope in the world, we will strive to live holy lives. Now that our Beer Goggles have been removed, we can now see that what we once thought was attractive, is NOT attractive. What we once thought we could do, we CANNOT do. What we once thought was GOOD, is NOT good. So, we begin to pursue those things that are true, good, and beautiful by living the holy life God has called us to live.
Peter gives us some help in living a holy life by saying, “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:17–19, NIV). He tells us to live out our time of exile—our time of trial—with reverent fear. We’re to live in reverent fear because God has pulled us out of our drunken stupor and adopted us into his family. We were rescued from the empty life that was handed down to us, and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, and adopted into God’s family. So, we are called to live in reverent fear.
It’s an interesting reminder in our current situation, because many people are living in fear right now. Many are in fear. People are fearful of the virus—of its spread, of its effects, and of possibly catching it. These are some of the obvious fears that are controlling many, but there are many other fears controlling people. Some people are being controlled by their fear of a crashing economy. Some people are being controlled by their fear of isolation and loneliness. Some people are being controlled by their fear of government overreach.
Yet, this passage reminds us that we are to fear God more than any of these things. Our fear of God—our reverent fear—should trump any of our fears about the virus, the economy, the government, the loneliness. Every step we take, every decision we make, every word that comes out of our mouth, every thought that passes through our brain MUST pass through the filter of the Fear of God.
This is so important for us to remember because of what I mentioned a couple weeks ago. In the midst of difficult times we get exhausted and tired. We also become fearful. When we become fearful of the wrong things, and weak and worn-out, our sinful desires begin to rise up and take control. We easily fall into sin and temptation. We easily fall back into destructive patterns and habits. Yet, Peter reminds us that in the midst of our weakness, weariness, and fear of many things, we must keep our eyes on God—and reverently fear Him above all things. We should be much more afraid of living unholy lives right now—than catching the virus. We should be much more afraid of falling into moral failure—than that falling of our economy. With our Beer Goggles removed, we must live with the fear of God clearly before our eyes.
Peter also gives us something to do as we live with the fear of God before our eyes: “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1 Peter 1:22, NIV). Now that our Beer Goggles have been removed, our hope has been fully set on God, and we’re striving to obey the truth of His Word; Love one another deeply from the heart.
Again, it’s important for Peter to make this statement explicitly in the midst of difficult times. When we find ourselves in difficulty, we have a tendency to turn inward on ourselves. The “survival mode” switch flips, and we begin to only look out for number one. We become selfish and self-centered. Yet, that’s not actually a good thing. If it looks like a good thing, that’s because you have Beer Goggles on. Scripture corrects that by saying, in the midst of difficulty, in the midst of trial, Love one another deeply from the heart. Look beyond yourself to the needs of others and love them deeply. And guess what? You’ll find joy and peace there as you lovingly give yourself to others, deeply from the heart. You’ll find hope.
Hope and Holiness are deeply connected. As we set our hope fully on God’s grace, it changes the way we live—right now. As we set our hope fully on God’s grace, we begin to live holy lives. We begin to live in reverent fear of God. We begin to look beyond ourselves and begin loving others deeply from the heart. As we begin to live holy lives, our faith is strengthened, our joy is deepened, and our hope grows in the midst of difficulty. Hope and Holiness each feed one another. So, in the midst of these difficult times, let us set our hope fully on God’s grace as we live holy lives.