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“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because as it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”” 1 Peter 1:15-16
God is holy. He is thrice holy. The Father is holy. The Son is holy. The Spirit is holy. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! We bow down low and worship the triune God. We considered this awesome truth last week. You can find that devotion here. This week, we consider the call that the holy God gives His redeemed people to be holy. As light bearers of the Light, as children of the living God, our faith should be manifest in our obedience to God. Our faith should be evident in good works (James 2:17).
In the context of these verses in 1 Peter 1, Peter laid out the great hope of our salvation in Jesus Christ. There are rich, wonderful truths in those verses. I encourage you to read them. He then speaks to what living in light of that salvation should be like. Beginning in verse 13, Peter teaches us three things:
- We need to prepare our minds for action. We need to sober minded.
- We need to rest our hope fully on the grace brought to us in the revelation of Christ.
- We must not conform ourselves to our former lusts, as we did in our ignorance. Remember, as God calls us to be holy, only those who are set apart as holy want to obey Him.
So, as Peter speaks of serious, committed obedience to our holy God, notice the sobering his words to be holy in “all your conduct” in verse 15. There is no aspect, nook, or cranny that “all” doesn’t touch or cover. All of our thoughts, words, and deeds are in view here. As Christians, we can’t thank God for redeeming us and then live like hellians, as if we were still in bondage to sin (Romans 6:1). Though we wrestle and struggle with sin daily, our quest to live godly lives must press on with full steam each and every day. John Calvin said it well when he commented, “As even the most perfect are always very far from coming up to the mark, we ought daily to strive more and more. And we ought to remember that we are not only told what our duty is, but that God also adds, ‘I am he who sanctifies you.’”
Brothers and sisters, considering the serious command for us to be holy in all of our conduct is sobering for sure. Isn’t it a wonderful comfort to know that God not only calls us to be holy and lives holy lives, but the Holy Spirit is also at work in us so that we can do so? That great truth resounds- What God calls us to do, He equips us to do. I want to encourage you to continue in your studies and put/keep the following in daily practice:
- Live life being spiritually and mentally attentive and alert. Be watchful and sober minded. This is needed as we seek to be holy in our conduct (1 Peter 5:8-9).
- Seek to mortify your flesh today and every day. With God’s help, put the sinful thoughts, passions, and lusts of your flesh to death. Put off the old man (Colossians 3:5-11). Be mindful that such thoughts and temptations will come to lure you, but deal with them in a godly manner when they do. As Peter instructs us, don’t conform yourself to them.
- Take action to put and keep in practice the things God commands you to in your conduct. Spend some time and meditate on putting on the new man (Colossians 3:12-17, Ephesians 4:17-24). Display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).
May God grant us all grace to do so!