‘For which reason, girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.'
Because of what he has said they are to ‘gird up the loins of their mind.' The flowing robes that men wore hindered strenuous activity so that, for example, in order to run for any distance or go into warfare men had to ‘gird up their loins', that is, gather up their robes in a girdle so that they would not interfere with their movements. (We might speak of rolling up our sleeves ready for action). So here ‘girding up the loins of your mind' indicates ‘gathering yourselves together and tightening up the discipline of your minds and wills', thus avoiding all loose thinking. This call to action was in total contrast to many of the religious experiences of those days which were actually intended to lift men out of their rational minds into an unthinking ecstasy. But those who follow Christ do not stop thinking, rather they think more deeply, but with a deeper understanding (see Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:17; Ephesians 4:23).
There may be in this phrase ‘gird up the loins' a glance back to the Exodus when on Passover night the people had to eat their Passover meal with their loins girded (Exodus 12:11). Perhaps there is here the hint of a new Exodus (see introduction), as they are called on to leave the world behind and travel towards their inheritance.
And this is to result in sober and thoughtful living, with their eyes fixed on the goal that lies ahead. Their hope is to be set, not on worldly things, but on the riches of the grace of God which will finally be revealed in the good things that will be brought to them when Jesus Christ is openly manifested at His coming, and they share with Him His glory. They must live in the light of His coming remembering that the things which are seen are temporal, while the far more abundant things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). They must thus count worldly things as nothing, and eternal things as everything.
‘Be sober.' In other words, do not be befuddled by wine, or by other detrimental things which can have the same impact (1 John 2:15-17). Rather they are to see things as they really are.
‘In the “being brought to you grace” in the revelation of Jesus Christ.' This present participle may refer to the grace being brought to them in the present revelation of Jesus Christ, speaking of the impact of His first coming. Or it may refer to the grace which will be brought to them at His second coming. In the light of 1 Peter 1:7 we should probably see it as having in mind the grace to be brought to them in His second coming. But both equally apply. We receive grace now as Christ is revealed in our hearts. We will receive grace then when he is revealed in His glory.
‘The revelation of Jesus Christ.' That is the time when the King's presence is openly revealed, when the curtain is drawn back and He is seen in all His glory and authority. Compare 1Co 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7. That revelation is made individually in every Christian heart even now when they come to Him with the eyes of their hearts being enlightened (2 Corinthians 4:6), but it will one day be made to all. Every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7; compare Matthew 24:27). >p> 1 Peter 1:14-15 ‘As children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in your then-time ignorance, but like as he who called you is holy, be you yourselves also holy in all manner of living.'
And they must do this because they are now ‘children of obedience', because they have been begotten again through the Obedient One, in the power of His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). By submitting to Christ they have entered into the obedience of Christ, and their lives are thus to reveal that obedience. Thus those who are Christ's are called on to be Christ-like, they are to be ‘children of obedience', following the way of obedience into which they have entered in Christ.
Peter remembered well Jesus' words, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord' and do not do the things that I say?” (Luke 6:46). They will thus no longer think like the world thinks. They will not live as they had done when they were ignorant of eternal things, and of the living Christ. Then their lives had been fashioned, ‘cobbled haphazardly together', by their foolish desires. They had lived to please themselves, driven by their own lusts. They had been ignorant (‘unknowing'), with no knowledge of God and without genuine moral standards. They had been ‘sons of disobedience' (Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6). But now that they have become ‘children of obedience' they are to be holy as the One Who has called them is holy. They are to be children of holiness, wholly set apart for God.
Note the contrasts. Firstly between ‘gird up the loins of your mind' in contrast with ‘fashioning yourselves haphazardly. Secondly between ‘Be sober' in contrast with living ‘according to your former desires'. And thirdly between ‘Set your hope perfectly' in contrast with being ‘in your ignorance'. The Christian life is positive in its aims.
For the idea of ‘children of --' compare the ‘children of wisdom' implied in Matthew 11:19, and the ‘children of light' spoken of by Jesus (Luke 16:8; John 12:36). They are the product of, and ‘follow after', wisdom and light, and in this verse they are the product of the obedience of Christ and are to follow after obedience.
‘As He Who called you is holy, be you yourselves also holy in all manner of living.' The purpose of the Spirit's sanctifying work (work of ‘making holy' - 1 Peter 1:2) is in order to make them holy, just as God, Who has foreknown and called them (1 Peter 1:2), is holy (Isaiah 57:15; and often as ‘the Holy One'). And that is therefore what they should set their minds on. The holiness in mind here is that of moral holiness, for it is to be in ‘all manner of living'. They are to live in accordance with all God's requirements. They are to be Christ-like in all their ways.