Having a vision for HOLINESS 1 PETER 1:3-16

The Litmus Test: God’s Standard for Holiness 13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NET Bible)

1. To be holy people, means we live in anticipation of Christ’s return (1:13) Holy Living Begins in the Mind – our thought life! “…get your minds ready for action by being fully sober…” “Being sober” It literally means “not drunk,” It refers to clarity of mind and the resulting good judgment.

Our hope is based on the grace that was ours through knowing Christ God’s grace is the motivation for holy living That future grace should motivate us to live holy lives right now, no matter how much we suffer. Thus the first aspect of developing a holy lifestyle is to focus on Christ’s coming, being alert in our thinking, motivated by God’s grace. Holiness shows in our obedience to the Father in everything we do (1:14, 15b).

“As obedient children” (1:14) We must leave our old lifestyle “…do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance,..” (1:14, Cf. Rom. 12:2). We must establish a habit of obedience “As obedient children” (1:14) His Word tells us how He wants us to live. We ought to obey God as a conditioned response. As God’s children, we need to get in the habit of asking, “What does God’s Word say?” Then we obey it.

We must erase the distinction between the sacred and the secular “…become holy yourselves in all of your conduct…” (1:15b). In all of your behaviour! ‘Everything you do.’ (NLT). ‘Every department of your lives.’ Phillips. ‘In all your behaviour.’ NASB “all” is significant because many pagan religions of that time separated “cultic holiness” from everyday life. Peter is saying that our separation unto God is to affect every area of life, both private and public. There is no such thing as secular life that is not sacred for the Christian.

Holiness requires of us that we will be growing in our personal knowledge of God’s holiness (1:15, 16). The Christian life is a process of growing to know God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. This knowledge of the Holy One has a transforming effect on our lives. No other attribute of God is elevated to the third degree. The Bible never says of God, “Eternal, eternal, eternal,” or “Love, love, love,” or “Mercy, mercy, mercy.” But it does say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). S Charnock: R C Sproul.

How then should we proceed through 2019? Take stock of your lives. See whether there are things you have done in the past that would not pass God’s holiness test. Consider some of the things that may have crept into your lives that would not please God! What are you feeding your mind! When we live holy lives hypocrisy is eliminated. There’s nothing that turns people off more than to see someone who professes to be a Christian, but whose lifestyle denies it.

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Col. 3:1-5