1 Peter 1:13-21
New King James Version
Living Before God Our Father
13 Therefore 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; 14 as obedient children, not (A)conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 (B)but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, (C)“Be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on the Father, who (D)without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your [a]stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with [b]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but (E)with the precious blood of Christ, (F)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 (G)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was [c]manifest (H)in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, (I)who raised Him from the dead and (J)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 1:17 sojourning, dwelling as resident aliens
- 1 Peter 1:18 perishable
- 1 Peter 1:20 revealed
1 Peter 1:13-21
The Message
A Future in God
13-16 So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
17 You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.
18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
Read full chapterScripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson