"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
1 Peter 1:13-16
Part 5
Yesterday: Prepare for Action – Not Conforming to Old Evil Desires
“As obedient children.”
Obeying God and His Word.
“Not fashioning yourselves.”
Not conforming…
“According to the former lusts in your ignorance.”
To your old evil sin.
Today: Prepare for Action – Be Holy
“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
All believers are called to:
Prepare mentally for action. [1]
Be sober-minded, self-controlled.
Have hope.
Do not conform to evil desires.
Be Holy.
“But as He which hath called you is holy,”
God has called his child to holiness.
“‘But … after the pattern of Him who hath called you (whose characteristic is that He is) holy, be (… ‘become’) ye yourselves also holy.’ God is our grand model” [2] (JFB).
God is a holy God.
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).
“Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for He is holy” (Psalm 99:5).
Because of God’s own holy character, He points us, His born-again children, to holiness.
“So be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
Be Holy.
Here’s the command – you and I are to be living “after the pattern of the Holy One who called you” [3] (Vincent).
What we need to remember about holiness –
“In the Scriptures, there is one primary meaning and one secondary meaning of the term holy. The secondary meaning is that which refers to personal righteousness and purity. However, the primary meaning of the word is ‘separate,’ or, if you will, theological apartheid. That which is holy is that which is other—that which is different from something else” [4] (RC Sproul).
“The idea is that God is separate, different from His creation, both in His essential nature and in the perfection of His attributes. But instead of building a wall around His apartness, God calls us to come to Him and share His apartness. He says to us, “Be holy, for I am holy” [5] (EWC).
In human beings –
“Holiness can refer to being blameless and without sin, but it also describes a person set apart for service to God” [6] (FSB).
Obedience to the Father is the surest way to live a holy life.
“In all Manner of Conversation”
The ancient word Peter uses here means “manner of life, conduct, behavior,” or “deportment” [7] (Thayer). The idea is that God is interested in the way we live and go about our lives. God is calling us to holy living.
“conversation—deportment, course of life: … Christians are already holy unto God by consecration; they must be so also in their outward walk and behavior in all respects. The outward must correspond to the inward man” [8] (JFB).
After salvation, our sinful life in ignorance is now over. We now are to be changing. We are to be distinct from what we were before knowing Christ. We run to God and away from our sin.
“The call to Godlike holiness means abandoning ‘former desires’ (sexual, material, social) characteristic of a lifestyle pursued out of ignorance of the gospel…” [9] (Erdman’s).
God’s sanctification makes us holy inwardly, and our outward lives need to match our inward spiritual character. This slow process of change is called progressive sanctification. Our transformation will be complete when we see Christ!
“Holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. It must be in all affairs, in every condition, and towards all people. We must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian’s life, and by this rule, we are commanded to be holy in every way. God makes those holy whom He saves” [10] (Matthew Henry).
In the New Testament, we are reminded of our holy calling and our need to pursue it diligently.
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
Believers, as we obey the Word of God, through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we are enabled to grow and change, becoming, a little at a time, like our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Because it is written.”
Here’s the reason is written down where everyone can see it. This is both an Old Testament and a New Testament principle. This is why we must be holy.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:1-2). [11]
This is the same command that Peter shares with us for our benefit.
“Be ye holy, for I am holy.”
“God calls His people to holiness—to reflect His character…” (FSB).
But how is it possible for us to live like this? We need to look to Jesus and pay attention to how He lived.
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18).
Everything Jesus did and taught in the Word points us to our goal of holy living. We will strive to live as Jesus taught us in the Bible. By the way, it must be possible for us to live godly, or there would be no commands in the Scripture for us to do it. Day by day, we work on our holiness to the glory of God.
Quote: “Our Lord used the Word of God to defeat Satan, and so may we (Matthew 4:1–11; see Ephesians 6:17). But the Word of God is not only a sword for battle; it is also a light to guide us in this dark world (Psalm 119:105; 2 Peter 1:19), food that strengthens us (Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2), and water that washes us (Ephesians 5:25–27). The Word of God has a sanctifying ministry in the lives of dedicated believers (John 17:17). Those who delight in God’s Word, meditate on it, and seek to obey it will experience God’s direction and blessing in their lives (Psalm 1:1–3). The Word reveals God’s mind, so we should learn it; God’s heart, so we should love it; God’s will, so we should live it. Our whole being—mind, will, and heart—should be controlled by the Word of God” [12] (Wiersbe).
[1] The BKC has broken down these four verses into five necessary actions for believers. I’m borrowing these ideas from them. Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 842–843). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] JFB, Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 501). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 635–638). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
[4] Sproul’s quote is from his lesson, “The Meaning of Holiness.” Downloaded: October 15, 2021. From: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/holiness-of-god/the-meaning-of-holiness. The emphasis is his.
[5] EWC, Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. The emphasis is his.
[6] FSB, Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Pe 1:13–17). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[8] JFB, ibid. The emphases are his.
[9] Fee, G. D., & Hubbard, R. L., Jr. (Eds.). (2011). The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible (p. 707). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
[10] Henry, M., & Scott, T. (1997). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (1 Pe 1:13–17). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems.
[11] See also: Leviticus 11:44-45; 20:7; 20:26; 1 Peter 1:16.
[12] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 395–398). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.