WAKE FOREST, N.C. – At the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Judson College Jan. 28 spring convocation service, SEBTS President Danny Akin exhorted listeners toward a life of authentic Christian faith, characterized by hope, holiness and reverent fear of the Lord.
Following the morning’s invocation and recognition of new students, Seth Bible, dean of Judson College, announced those named to the dean’s list for the previous semester – a record number of 180 students who achieved a semester GPA of 3.75 while taking at least 12 credit hours. The dean’s list also requires students to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and to be in good standing with the college.
“This honor of distinction affirms your hard work and commitment to your education,” Bible told recipients. “Most importantly, your accomplishment reflects a diligent pursuit of God’s call on your life. I personally want to commend your devotion to our Savior through your dedication to your studies. Your efforts and excellence reflect the heart of our school and represent the type of academic success that we desire for all of our students.”
During the chapel address, Akin preached from 1 Peter 1:13-21, examining Peter’s three imperatives for a strong foundation of faith.
“Peter knows how desperately we need a firm foundation, a solid rock upon which to stand,” Akin said, “and he would tell us in this text that there is no better place for us to stand than on the rock-solid foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Akin explained that Peter tells his listeners to hope in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the promised inheritance that believers receive through His glorious salvation. Believers steward this hope through the preparation of their minds and as they remind themselves of the state from which they have been rescued to new life, no longer in bondage to their sin.
“Know that a prepared mind must be immersed in the word of God, in the things of God, and it is absolutely essential to genuine and authentic Christianity,” Akin said.
“Peter understood,” he said, “that for the Gospel to go forth, we must indeed not only be hopeful – we must also be holy.”
This holiness that believers are called to is in imitation of their Creator, whose “holiness is the very essence of [his] character,” Akin said, noting verses 15 and 18.
Finally, Peter commands believers, “Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (v. 17). Believers should live in this reverent fear because they know the cost of their salvation, Akin said. They know they serve an impartial Father, and their salvation is through the blood of their incorruptible Redeemer.
In all aspects of their lives, Christians should demonstrate a genuine and authentic faith that is identified by their hope, their holiness, and their reverent fear of the God whom they serve – a God who is the holy and sovereign judge and has provided the most glorious of gifts in the atoning and powerful blood of his son Jesus Christ.
Following the convocation address, chapel attendees closed the service with the singing of the seminary hymn “For the Cause.”
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