1 Peter 1:14-16 - Be Holy for I Am Holy!

1Pe.1:14-16; Be Holy for I Am Holy!

1 Pet 1:14-16 (KJV)  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 Pet 1:14-16 (TLB)  Obey God because you are his children; 
don't slip back into your old ways--doing evil because you knew no 
better.  But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, 
who invited you to be his child.  He himself has said, "You must be 
holy, for I am holy."  

After people commit their lives to Christ, they usually still 
feel a pull back to their old ways. Peter tells us to be like our 
heavenly Father--holy in everything we do. Holiness means being totally 
devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use and set apart 
from sin and its influence. We're to be set apart and different, not 
blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of 
being different. What makes us different are God's qualities in our 
lives. Our focus and priorities must be his. All this is in direct 
contrast to our old ways (1:14). We cannot become holy on our own, but 
God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to 
overcome sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin. 
Call on God's power to free you from sin's grip. [Life Application 
SB] 

Our daily expression of holiness is a reflection of our faith in 
Christ.  If we have no desire to be holy, we should seriously question 
the genuineness of our faith in the Lord Jesus. 
Christ not only died to save us from the punishment for our 
sins, but also from slavery to sin in this worldly culture.  To 
continue to live in sin as a Christian is contradictory to the most basic 
meaning of Christianity.  Christ died to save us from our sins, not to 
let us remain in our sins (Mat.1:21; 1Jo.1:6,7).  What kind of 
person would want to follow Christ and not desire to live a holy 
life?... 
Holiness, then, is not an option for the believer.  Paul wrote 
to Titus, "For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of 
all men, training us to renounce irreligious and worldly passions, 
and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world" 
(Tit.2:11,12).  Though holiness is not a condition for salvation, it is the 
natural consequence of salvation.  We do not become holy in order to be 
saved, but because we are saved.  We do not do good works to get to 
heaven, but because heaven has already come into our hearts. 
To trust Christ for salvation is to trust him for holiness.  If 
there is no desire for holiness within, then it is doubtful that the 
Holy Spirit has come to dwell within.  The Holy Spirit does not save 
us without giving us the desire to live a holy life. Floyd McClung 
[Time with God SB]