In 1 Peter 1:14-19 Peter calls us to be obedient. If we are going to live the life God desires, we have to put aside the life the world wants us to live and live in the holiness God desires and requires for us. We have to put aside all that the world wants to entrap us in – often demonstrated through lust and ignorance. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We are called to be holy because God is, and that’s all He can allow to be in His presence.
The main idea behind holiness is not moral purity but it is the idea of being set apart. Life on earth should not be about fitting in. As Christ Followers, that will seldom be the outcome that is right. The idea is that God is separate, different from His creation, both in His essential nature and in the perfection of His attributes. But instead of building a wall around Him being set apart, God calls us to come to Him and share His apartness. He says to us, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Holiness is not so much something we possess as it is something that possesses us. In His holiness, the God of the Bible is radically different from the pagan gods commonly worshipped in New Testament times.
If we as Christians call on a holy God (presumably for help), we must understand that we call on a God who shows no partiality – and will so judge our conduct. This makes a working, sober, holy walk all the more important. “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
The high call for godly living makes sense in light of the price that was paid for our redemption. The precious blood of Jesus did not save us so that we could then live as if we were garbage. Salvation came with an extreme cost to the Father – His only Son. So the price paid requires us to live a life worthy of the God who loved us enough to send Jesus to the Cross. Our conduct needs to align with His holiness. Jesus was holy – without even a blemish or a spot – and that precious blood was spilled through a gift of grace from the Father above. God’s call to us is to be holy as He is holy!
“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“
“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”
Arlin Sorensen's Thoughts on Scripture 