SCRIPTURE | 1 Peter 1:14–16 “As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”
OBSERVATION | First, we learn how this passage speaks to God’s “children.” According to the previous passages God’s children are those who are of the true faith (v.9), who have a true hope fixed on Jesus (v.12), and who have minds ready for action (v.13). Many errors come from misunderstanding the relationship between those of true faith and the living God of Scripture. We can resolve these with this lesson, God is the Father and they are His children. As a Father He provides and protects His children (Luke 12:22–32). He delights as a Father in the obedience of His children (Phil 2:13-14, 1 Thess 2:4). Yet, the Father also disciplines His children for their disobedience (Hebrews 12:5–11). As a Father He eternally loves those who are truly His children (John 14:23; 16:27), and nothing will change that (John 6:39–40). God’s children will always be His children. Just as any father to child relationship cannot be broken or lost by the actions and events of life. Spiritual adoption is final for those who are truly adopted.
Our Second lesson flows out of the first. Because of our great God and Father, we have every reason to flee with great effort from all of our “former lusts” and our desires of everything that causes offense to our Holy Father. Sanctification is an active process. A pursuit of holiness. A zeal in faith to both believe the Word and obey the Word, because we know that it is the authority of our Father and speaks to all of our life and faith. Certain places, objects, ways of thinking and such will cause us to “conform” to our former ways. As obedient children, we are not to “be conformed” to the ways of worldliness. These are active words in the Greek, and they are continuous too. So we actively and continuously live in a way that keeps us from conforming, like Paul says in Romans 12:1-2. By application we are being commanded here, as elsewhere, to remove and separate ourselves from stumbling blocks of temptation in our daily living (Prov 5:8; Matt 5:29; 6:13; 18:9; Mk 9:47; 2 Tim 2:22 etc.).
Our third lesson is a divine command our Father has given to us for complete and absolute holy living. For He has said both in the Old and the New Covenant, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” Many have twisted and nullified this command because of its offensiveness and impossibility. Saying something like “It’s impossible to be perfectly holy, so we know that is not what God means.” So that we do join those in nullify God’s authoritative Word, let us study this carefully.
If God in His good will for his children has set a goal so high it both offends us and is also impossible to obtain, does this give us as His true children the right to throw out or modify the command? May it never be! Think about it. Such nullifying of God’s clear command due to our inability is really a horribly arrogant and disrespectful act towards God. “You say to do this God, but I cannot, so what you say must not be what you say….” That opens up a box to all kinds of altering of Scripture. Slow down and think this through. Do we really think God did not know what He was commanding here? Or is it possible that He knew we could not perfectly obey, and yet He commanded it still?
Now, don’t play the trick of saying, “well He commanded it but He doesn’t mean what He says.” Think of the re-assigning of meaning we can do with all of scripture with that line of thinking. Toss out anything we don’t like and re-assign a different meaning to it.
Now, there are implications of our inability to be perfectly holy, such as the need for someone who can be perfect to live the perfect life for us. Thus, the command to be holy shows us our need for forgiveness and grace in the perfect God-man, Jesus Christ. This is true. However, such an implication of meaning of the command to be holy, does not remove the original meaning of this command. In other words, this still remains a command to perfect holiness.
So, before we get lost with side tracks, let’s remember the rule of faith and followed it in our study of this verse. In the face of a seemingly impossible command, let’s let scripture be the interpreter of scripture and explain our seeming conundrum. Look to Philippians 3:12-14.
Philippians 3:12–14 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Here Paul clarifies how we keep the impossible command of becoming perfect, which the same as being holy. We set this perfection as our goal to press on toward. The goal then of holiness is also the prize at the end of the finish line. So like Paul we are to strive for and yet know we will not fully reach it until the race of life is finished.
Isn’t it awesome how simple God’s Word can be? All we need is to turn to His Word in faith to find the answers to our lack of understanding. In summary, Holiness is the active and continuous race of true faith. Holiness is not complete until the race is completed, no matter how much progress is made along the way. No one is done, until the finish line is finally crossed.
The last lesson. We race for the goal of a completely holy life “because it is written.” That is to say, as children of the heavenly Father we aim to live a holy life, simply because our heavenly Father said so. God speaks so in His Word; therefore, we obey thru faith. When we as children obey our Father but not perfectly, does God still delight in our feeble attempts? Of course. What father isn’t honored and glorified when his child gives his efforts to obey the father’s words? How much more does our all-knowing, holy and gracious Father then rejoice in our efforts at obedience and holy living? The question then, is are we seeking to live in holiness “in all of our conduct?”
APPLICATION | Is it my aim to obey the Father and live a perfectly holy and pure life according to scripture? Or have I given up because I know I will never do it perfectly? Or am I using the excuse that Jesus has done it for me, thus making void God’s will and command for my life, which is His now as it has been bought by Jesus?
Do I set my life apart from sin and worldliness? Am I doing all I can to obey the heavenly Father’s Word? Commit today to live in true faith that works out obedience and repents of sin. Commit to turn from the former lusts of ignorance and walk in the holy ways of the Lord.
PRAYER | Father, it is awesome and beyond my comprehension how wonderful it is to be adopted into Your family and called Your Child. I praise you and thank you for such grace and mercy, to love a wretched sinner like me. Out of Your love for me, create in me a growing love for You. That I would hear the commands and directions of scripture, as well as the promises, and respond in faith. That right now I would submit my life to live in theholiness of your Word. To run the race and grow to be more righteous like Jesus. And when I fail, dear Father, as I know I often will despite all my efforts, move me to true repentance, forgive me through true faith in Your Son, and turn the path of my life back to Your will and Your ways again. That all of my life would be set aside for You and Your glory alone. Amen.
