1 Peter 1:13-16

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 conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

The “therefore” is equivalent to, “in view of the fact that even though you are undergoing many kinds of trials (v.6), yet because your heavenly inheritance awaits you (vs. 3-6), gird up the loins of your mind.” Peter here uses an oriental expression referring to the act of gathering up around the waist, the long, loose eastern robes which would impede one’s progress in running or other exertion. … The Israelites had orders to eat the Passover with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, their staff in their hands, ready to move on a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11).

It is not physical exertion that Peter has in mind here, but mental. If the purpose of girding up the clothing was to put out of the way that which would impede the physical progress of an individual, the girding up of the loins of the ind would be the putting out of the mind all that would impede the free action of the mind in connection with the onward progress of the [believer’s] experience, things such as worry, fear, jealousy, hate, unforgiveness, impurity. … The word “to gird up” is in the aorist tense which refers to a past once-for-all act. — Wuest, page 34.

sober (v.13) = be calm and collected in spirit, be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect. Be self-controlled and able to see things without distortion caused by distractions like worry.

hope (v.13) = an assured expectation.

that is to be brought (v.13) — The Greek here indicates that the grace is already on the way. We can presently have complete assurance that our ultimate glorification is assured and already coming to us.

In essence, Peter says, just as God delivered our forefathers from the hand of the Egyptian taskmaster, He will also deliver us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. … The “revelation of Jesus Christ” has absolutely nothing to do with the Rapture. The Rapture is not the hope of these kingdom believers, nor does Peter hold it out to them. The hope of the kingdom saints is to see with their own eyes the Messiah standing on the Mount of Olives at His Second Coming. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Zechariah 14:4 cf. Revelation 1:1; 19:11-16).

If Paul is the apostle of grace, surely Peter is the apostle of hope, and understandably so (1 Peter 1:3, 13, 21). Peter lived to see the diminishing of Israel. The chosen nation was once the light of the world, but due to her disobedience her light had grown dim. With the blessing of God nearly removed from the nation, all that remained was hope for those of the remnant. The consolation of believing Israel was the hope of the resurrection. Although Peter’s hearers were going to pass through the furnace of affliction, they were to never allow anything or anyone to shake their confidence in the fact that the promises of the kingdom would be fulfilled in the resurrection at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-4, 13). — Sadler, pages 59-60.

as obedient children (v.14) — A Hebrew saying that suggests that Obedience is their mother, and they should have inherited its character.

The word “fashion” [conforming (v.14)] in the Greek text refers to the act of assuming an outward appearance patterned after some certain thing, an appearance or expression which does not come from and is not representative of one’s inmost and true nature. It refers here to the act of a child of God assuming as an outward expression the habits, mannerisms, dress, speech expressions, and behavior of the world out from which God saved him, thus not giving a true expression of what he is, a cleansed, regenerated child of God. … It is the believer masquerading in the costume of the world. — Wuest, page 37.

lusts (v.14) = passionate desires. Peter listed the former lusts in 1 Peter 4:3.

as (v.15) = from a Greek word that has the meaning of “down,” or “domination.”

holy (v.15) = set apart

be (v.15) = not “being,” but “becoming.” The Greek tense indicates entrance into a new state.

The words “it is written” [v.16] are the translation of a verb in the perfect tense in Greek, which tense speaks of a past completed action having present results. One could translate more fully, “It has been written and as a present result is on the record.” Peter was quoting from Leviticus 11:44 which was written by … Moses. — Wuest, page 38.

I (v.16) = I, in contradistinction to anyone else …

Now that these saints had been brought into a new relationship, as the children of God they were to abstain from those former things that dishonored God. They were to be holy as He is holy who called them into His service. Notice, they were not to “become holy” but “be ye holy.” in short, settle in your minds once and for all that you are going to live for the Lord. — Sadler, page 61.