Studies in First Peter Part 6
“13Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ “ (I Peter 1:13-16).
The ”Therefore” that begins this next section of Peter’s letter is similar to the apostle Paul’s approach in his letters. Both authors first remind their readers of who they are in Christ and then follow with a call to walk according to our new identity. Peter has explained who we are in verses 2-12. We are chosen, sanctified, born again, cleansed by Christ’s blood, empowered to obey, heirs of God, and more. Starting in verse 13, he moves on to how we live in light of all these descriptions of what Christ did for us and in us and to us and who we now are.
And he summarizes our new identity in one word, “holy”. Go ahead, act like the holy person you are. “As obedient children … be holy yourselves in all your behavior.” Act in ways that reflect your holy identity. Behave in ways befitting the holy and righteous obedient child that you are. In your attitudes and actions, align yourself with the new holy nature you have been given.
When you hear a phrase like “be holy in all your behavior,” do you hear a threat or a promise? For years, I heard it as a threat, basically a “be holy or else.” “Be holy or evil will befall you. Be holy because that is what God requires to stay near to Him. Be holy so God will not be disappointed in you.” It always carried some kind of a threat.
Or how about the last line, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” This phrase always seemed like a hopeless appeal. “Be holy, even though it is probably not what you want to do, but you need to try to emulate God who is holy, but you are not God, so you will never attain the holiness that God requires, but keep trying your hardest.” Yeah, something like that.
But now I see holiness as a promise. Look at the last line again, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” What does God’s holiness have to do with ours? Everything. How can we be as holy as Jesus? We can only be holy because the Holy One Himself came to live in us. We ARE holy because Christ made us so. “The Holy One who called you” made you holy. It is our identity.
“He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:22).
Our holiness is a promise, not a required action held over us as an unattainable goal, or a yardstick to measure our spirituality, or a threat of any kind.
A plethora of how-to books about holiness have been published over the years. And I am sure they contain some good advice. But in all of your holiness reading, have you ever seen this suggestion for holy living; BE YOURSELF? Holiness is not a list of complicated hoops to jump through. “Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” is simply the apostle saying “be yourself” by displaying in your attitudes and actions the “holy” in you.
The call to be holy carries a powerful promise; the promise of God’s holiness living in you.