In 1 Peter 1:13-16, Peter writes to
believers, Therefore gird up the loins
of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be
brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming
yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct, because it is
written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Peter is quoting from Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves,
and you shall be holy; for I am holy, and
Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the
congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy,
for I the Lord your God am holy.
What does it mean that God is holy? Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God and Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” are just two of many passages about God’s holiness. God is high above any other and no one can compare to Him (Psalm 40:5 NLT O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal). God’s holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes.
What does it mean that God is holy? Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God and Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” are just two of many passages about God’s holiness. God is high above any other and no one can compare to Him (Psalm 40:5 NLT O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal). God’s holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes.
What does
it mean for us to be holy? When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus 11 and Leviticus 19, He was instructing
them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations
to govern their lives. Israel is God's chosen nation and God has set them apart
from all other people groups. They are His special people, and consequently
they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would
know they belonged to Him. When Peter repeats the Lord's words in 1 Peter 1:16, he is talking
specifically to believers. As believers, we need to be "set apart"
from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God's standards, not the
world's. God isn't calling us to be perfect, but to be distinct from the world.
1 Peter 2:9 (see below) describes
believers as "a holy nation." We are separated from the world; we need to
live out that reality in our day-to-day lives, which Peter tells us how to do
in 1 Peter 1:13-16.
So, how can we become holy? Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior. If we have not placed our faith in God's Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure we are born-again believers (John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”). If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world 1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. We have a relationship with the living God! Then we must daily live a set-apart our lives. We cannot "blend in" with the world dividing our loyalty with God (Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do James 1:8 NLT). But instead living according to God's Word as we study the Bible, grow in it, and apply it to our lives.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.
So, how can we become holy? Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior. If we have not placed our faith in God's Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure we are born-again believers (John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”). If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world 1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. We have a relationship with the living God! Then we must daily live a set-apart our lives. We cannot "blend in" with the world dividing our loyalty with God (Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do James 1:8 NLT). But instead living according to God's Word as we study the Bible, grow in it, and apply it to our lives.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.
Memory Verse: Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. You
shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.
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