House of Hope Online

September 7, 2025

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Today, I want to continue in our study of the term “moral excellence” referred to in 2^nd Peter 1:5-7. In that passage, the apostle urges us to apply diligence in our faith, which in turn supplies us with moral excellence, which leads us into knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

Last week, we meditated on passages from Chapters 2 and 3 of Paul’s Epistle to Titus, and we found that moral excellence requires us to be temperate and self-controlled in all things, to be sound in faith, love, and perseverance.  Our lives should be based on sound doctrine, which refers to the word of God that is not compromised according to worldly desires.  We were encouraged by the scriptures to be morally excellent employees and citizens, obedient to rules and laws, and ready to do every good deed.  Further, the Apostle teaches us to “malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” (Titus 3:2) The word “malign” means to speak evil of, defame, and revile.  Finally, we said last time our ability to achieve moral excellence depends on our relationship with Jesus, as only the Holy Spirit can enable us to crucify our flesh.

And so today, I want to return to the teachings of Peter, but this time, we will look at several passages from the Apostle’s first Epistle.  We begin in 1^st Peter 1:13 which encourages us to be Rapture ready.

Be Rapture Ready

1^st Peter 1:

 13 ¶ Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober [in spirit,] fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance,

 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] behavior;

 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

Peter is urging us to be ready for action, sober in spirit, with our hope fixed completely on the grace coming at the revelation of Jesus, a clear reference to the Rapture.  Note the word “sober” in verse 13.  We said in prior weeks that “sober” means to not come under the influence of unsound doctrine.  So, we are to keep our spirit in sound doctrine as we enter these end times.

There are a couple of key terms in verse 13 that we need to focus on.  The first is the word “completely.”  Verse 13 says we are to fix our hope completely on the grace that Jesus provides.  There is nothing else to fix our hope on.  We should not hope that we are capable of moral excellence.  Instead, we fix our hope on His grace, which makes us morally excellent.  That is, the grace He sends our way via the Holy Spirit’s fruit.  We should not fix our hope on politicians or governments to bring us joy, peace, or goodness.  These are fruit of the Spirit that we get only by the grace of Jesus.  We should not fix our hope on friends or family for love, and we should not depend on mentors or motivational speakers for patience or self-control.  Instead, Peter writes we should fix our hope completely on the grace of Jesus for all these things and more.

The other phrase from verse 13 that I want to draw your attention to is: “the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus.  Now we know that we have been saved (past tense) by the grace of Jesus because He suffered and died for our sins and God raised Him from the dead so that we would have eternal life.  But verse 13 is describing a future grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus.  There is more grace coming to us at a future time.  When will it come?  This grace will be brought to us “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  That tells me that the Rapture will save us from the tribulation (the time of testing) that is about to come upon the world. 

Notice that Peter is telling us to get ready for this grace.  We are to gird our minds for action and keep sober in spirit.  Verses 14-16 call for us to be obedient, not conformed to former lusts (any excessive desire), but instead called to holiness.  In other words, we need to start living in anticipation of the Rapture, focusing on sound doctrine, and ready for the “action” that will lift us up and out of the tribulation that is coming.  We need to start living in the way that we want to be found by Him: holy and blameless, and without spot or wrinkle.  Remember, He is coming for us, His bride, and we need to have enough oil (Holy Spirit) in our lamps to be made holy by His grace.  His coming for us is “the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 Praise Jesus!

Put Aside Some Things

With the Rapture in view, Peter also encourages us to lose some baggage.

1^st Peter 2:

 1 ¶ Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

The Greek word for “malice” means any depravity, evil, maliciousness, naughtiness, or wickedness.  The word “guile” means deception of any kind.  We are to put these things aside.  By telling us to put these things aside, Peter is confirming that we have a sinful nature.  If we were holy in and of ourselves, we would not have to put anything aside.  But our nature is sinful.  Our tendency is toward evil.  The Bible calls this tendency “iniquity.”  Peter is telling us to put these things aside.

Instead, we are to focus on the “pure milk of the word.”  Again, the Apostle is emphasizing that we should not allow the word of God to be compromised by the fleshly desires of this world.  Jesus is the word, and He is coming, so we want to be found in the truth of His uncompromised word, the “pure milk,” so that by it we may grow in respect to our salvation.  So, it is one thing to be saved, but there is growth that comes following salvation when we remain sober by the pure milk of His word.  When Jesus comes, He wants to find us growing in His word, striving for moral excellence by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

And notice that verse 3 adds: “if you have tasted of the kindness of the Lord.”  Jesus represents the kindness of the Lord, so Peter is adding that we are able to put aside these things and be Rapture ready if we have received Jesus in our hearts.  Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Him and to deliver the grace we need to put these things aside.

1^st Peter 2 goes on to exhort us to be excellent in our behavior.

1^st Peter 2:

 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Now, understand that Peter is addressing Jewish believers and his reference to Gentiles implies unbelieving Gentiles.  We who have received Jesus have been grafted into the people of God, so we can receive this word as believers who should witness for Christ before unbelievers. 

Note again in verse 12 the reference to the day of visitation.  Peter is saying our excellent behavior should produce good deeds that cause unbelievers to glorify God in the day of visitation.  Our behavior should be a witness for Christ that points unbelievers to Him.  This is moral excellence at its best, and it’s all about the Rapture.

Know What Time It Is

In 1^st Peter 4, we are again encouraged to know the season we are in and to act accordingly.

1^st Peter 4:

 1 ¶ Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

 3 For the time already past is sufficient [for you] to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.

 4 ¶ And in [all] this, they are surprised that you do not run with [them] into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign [you];

 5 but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

 6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to [the will of] God.

 7 ¶ The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober [spirit] for the purpose of prayer.

Verse 7 is a clear reference to the imminence of the Rapture, and the need for us to be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.  The time is past for serving our fleshly nature and we should not be surprised if friends or family apply peer pressure and malign us for not living to excess.  It is time for us to walk in the Spirit and thereby crucify the desires of our flesh.

Let us pray.

Father God, thank You for encouragement of Your word to be Rapture ready, and to fix our hope completely on the grace that is to come when Jesus is revealed.  Deliver the grace we need to put aside all malice, deception, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.  May we long for the pure milk of Your word, so that we may grow in moral excellence, and may our behavior cause sinners to repent and glorify Jesus in the day of visitation.  Quicken us to be of sound mind and sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer because the end of all things is at hand.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.