1 PETER 1:13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For 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, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He 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. 22Now 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. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.
Be holy in all you do! WOW! Who among is can do that? You don’t REALLY expect us to be holy, do you God? Well....YES! He not only expects you to be holy, but warns us that there are consequences to NOT being holy. As a matter of fact, our text says that He has CALLED you to be holy. So what’s your excuse?
Fist, we should define holy. When I used to think of holy, I would think of someone dressed in robes, very stoic.....spending most of their time praying and fasting. While these things can be considered holy, we can be holy and live holy lives as we are called to do in our normal living. I looked up "holy" in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia on-line.
Holiness, or sanctity, is the state of being holy or sacred, that is, set apart for the worship or service of God . The early Reformers, who were often scholars of ancient Greek and also borrowed from Jewish scholarship, recognized that holiness is an attribute of God, and holiness is always part of the presence of God. Yet they also recognized that practical holiness was the evidence of the presence of God in the converted believer. Martin Luther, viewed God’s grace (and therefore God’s holiness), as an invasion of the life....and well it SHOULD be! Actions that demonstrated holiness would spring up, not premeditated, as the believer focused more and more on his or her relationship with Christ. This was the life of faith, according to Luther, a life in which one recognizes that the sinful nature never departs, yet grace invades and draws the person after Christ. Holiness also means the reshaping of a person through spiritual rebirth....or being "born again.".
I like that....set apart for the worship and service of God. Isn’t that a good definition for a Christian? Holiness is an attribute of God and part of the presence of God. Holiness is "the evidence of the presence of God in the Christian." Can your friends see your holiness? Whenever we exhibit the attributes of Christ, we are being holy. Our text tells us that we should be holy in all we do...that means that we should exhibit Christ-like ways in ALL we do. How many of us do that?
We were coming back from Ft Worth the other day and, as usual I had the cruise control on coming down the highway. See, I have to use the cruise control because if I’m not careful when I drive, my natural tendency is to "speed up" and try to keep up with all the other cars on the road. I really have to fight this......even when you drive the speed limit, cars get on your bumper and act like they’re gonna run you over if you don’t get out of the way! When they zoom around me, I want to speed up.....zoom around some people too!
I got to thinking.....sometimes as Christians, we have the urge to over-ride our cruise control, if you will. We know the safe speed is posted, but we get in a hurry! Now, we know too, the consequences of "over-riding" the cruise control, don’t we? For one thing, it’s usually unsafe. You could get involved in an accident. It could end up costing you your life. Whenever you get ahead of God, you’re headed for an accident that could possibly cost you your eternal life.
I know that it is illegal to drive faster than the posted speed limit.....but everybody else is doing it! Why can’t I? THEY aren’t having any problems....yet. Also, it was good to have my wife there with me, reminding me to "obey the law" and don’t join in on all that speeding. How many of you know that we all need fellow Christians in our lives to keep us in check ever now and then?
This is part of being holy....set apart from the world. 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." In 1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
You are strangers and aliens in this world. Be holy! How can I be holy? Look, you already are.....you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.....called out of darkness into His light! That ought to make you shout for joy! You’re special and God loves you. He also enables you to live a holy life. Do you know that you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of God? Whenever something is sealed, that means it’s airtight....nothing else can get in. Oh, Satan will try to find a way....look for the cracks or the places where it might not be sealed good.....but by His blood we are sealed, and that blood will never lose it’s power! AMEN! EPH 4:30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
COL 1:21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
Praise God, you can be holy and without blemish.....free from accusation! How great is that? Do you know who Christ is coming back for? That’s right...a spotless, blemish free, HOLY church. And YOU are a part of it. If you are having trouble staying holy, look at these scriptures...HEB 6:5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
ROMANS 12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
TITUS 3:5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost
God has provided everything we need to live our lives holy. He has called us to holiness. It is the will of God.
