Are You Impressionable?

Malleable Minds
1 Peter 1.13-25

“13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

“Therefore” points to the previous context (1 Peter 1.1-12) and what we talked about last week; that is the topic of faith. We mentioned how faith is an active trust, belief, and fidelity to God.

Today, I want to talk about how we can actively and daily live out our faith in God.

Peter admonishes, “prepare your minds for action.” (NIV)

The Message translation renders the phrase as, “roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear.”

The KJV reads, “gird up the loins of your mind.”

In this particular interpretation the KJV is closer to the Hebrew/oriental idiom used back in Peter’s day to describe a farmer that would take up his robe to work in a field.

The point is that Christians need to have their minds [dianoa] free from distraction and focused on living out faith in God.

I have preached before how crucial it is to understand how our thought lives affect our theology and our faith. Corrupt thinking and thoughts lead to corrupt living and actions.

You are well familiar with the adage you are what you eat and you are what you think.

One’s thoughts biologically “hardwire” our bodies; one’s negative or positive thoughts can affect one’s physical well being, and in this case, one’s faith in Christ. (The GK word “repent” means to changes ones thoughts.)

“14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." [Lev. 11:44,45]

Peter continues and warns the Christian not to “conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” The meaning of conform is to shape or fashion (one’s mind).

This made me think of three words:

Impressionable is a word we often use concerning young people. When I look at my children I can see how easily impressionable they are. When I look at others (that I know well) and myself, I can see glimpses of others who have influenced them and me. The idea of being impressionable is having another person’s personality, attitude, or mindset impressed onto one’s mind. Is this always bad?

Being teachable is a positive way at looking at the idea of being impressionable. The reality is that we are constantly being impressed with outside thoughts, philosophies, mindsets, attitudes, reactions, and behaviors. The Christian must freely and actively seek to be impressed with the mind of Christ.

I like the word malleable. It speaks of flexible strength. It’s often associated with iron that can be fashioned and shaped without breaking. The strongest structures are flexible, which can withstand incredible pressures and forces (i.e. bridges, roller coasters, buildings).

Dr. Paul Brandt was a Baptist medical missionary to India. He was an optometrist surgeon that saved the eyesight of countless patients.

One day, he was showing a visiting friend around the mission site and stopped to observe one of the interns intently listening to a patient. Brandt, in great admiration, said to his visiting friend,

“Look at his face! Look at the expression on his face! There is only one other man I’ve ever known who could look at a person with such loving intensity. That was my teacher at medical school, the doctor whom [studied under]. I haven’t seen an expression like that since I was with him.”

The visiting friend smiled and said, “But, Dr. Brandt, I have seen you care for patients, and whether or not you realize it, you have that exact expression on your face when a patient is telling you about suffering and pain.” (Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story, 90)

Yesterday, I was enjoyably taking in Elijah’s first organized football game ever (7 yr old flag football). What a marvel it is to watch your own children become an individuals. I was watching all the boys and some of their anxious and proud fathers out there close to them. It was curios to see how the young boys mimic their dads. And how they’re teachable and malleable to their coaches on the field.

What a truth we have in thinking about our faith being teachable and malleable (We should never reach a point when we are no longer teachable to the things of God!)

When we are teachable and malleable not to the corrupt things of this world; but, rather, when we willingly seek to have God mold, shape, fashion and impress us into the image of his holy Son Christ, God can get a hold of us and shape us after Jesus!

How do we become teachable and malleable to the mindset of Christ?

Peter explains:
“17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 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 forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” “22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1. We must learn to “Call on God the Father (who doesn’t play favorites). We have to search and seek after God the Father as obedient Children (vs.14)
2. We must live as strangers in this world. We must be mindful of harmful attitudes, ways, and thoughts of this world. We are traveling citizens of heavenly country!

3. We must taste the ash of our mortality in our mouth. We are only passing through this life. And this life, as we know it, will one day end. Our mortality should point us to our great need for Christ and his righteousness in our lives. (vs.24)

24 For, [The Taste of Ash]
‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ [Isaiah 40:6-8]And this is the word that was preached to you.”