LESSON 10 • Be Holy
1 Peter 1:13-2:3

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy because I am holy.’”

For most of us, these words are both as familiar as our own coffee table and as distant from our understanding as we are from Pluto. We have read it time and again. We have heard it preached. But what does it mean to be holy? More importantly, how on Earth do we accomplish it? How can imperfect people imitate a perfect Father? Sometimes frustration with our own inadequacy leads us to take a worldly view of holiness. Even among Christians, “holiness” has so often been equated with self-righteousness that reference to it incites a negative attitude. We feel that true holiness is unattainable and therefore anyone striving toward it must be prideful, exalting himself.

God’s view of holiness is, however, quite different and he makes that very clear in this passage of scripture from 1 Peter. As we study, we will see that the call to holiness is based more on God’s grace and goodness than on our abilities. We’ll discover holiness as a heartfelt response rather than a hopeless requirement. He expects us to be holy. He commands us to be holy. He tells us why and he tells us how.

Our passage highlights the response God expects of Christians as we begin to internalize Christ’s sacrifice. The overall message is: Christ sacrificed his LIFE for you, now live like it! This response goes beyond our initial belief and baptism. As we realize what was done for us, we respond with such an outpouring of gratitude that it floods our life with a desire for holiness, a deep, sincere love for others and an unmistakable reverence for God. We can’t help but worship him daily in our lives and our relationships. This passage devotes the following verses to each part of the response.
Our Response to Christ’s Sacrifice is:
Holiness and Obedient Living (vv. 13-16)
Reverent Fear and Trust (vv. 17-21)
Sincere Love for One Another (vv. 22-25)
Holiness in Relationships (2:1-3)

Response One: Holiness and Obedient Living

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be selfcontrolled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Vs. 13

Read the first word of this passage; before we can go forward, we must go back. “Therefore” means nothing without the preceding thoughts. Scan over 1 Peter 1:3-12. These verses express several reasons to praise God and rejoice, not the least of which is that we “are receiving the goal of (our) faith, the salvation of (our) souls.” (1 Peter 1:9) They also reveal that we are now privy to the understanding of certain spiritual mysteries, which intrigued both our forefathers, and the angels of heaven.
THEREFORE…
Based on those two privileges (the blessing of salvation and an understanding of Christ’s sacrifice which led to that salvation,) we are commanded to live a certain way. 
What are those commands? (Reread 1 Peter 1:13)
1. Prepare your minds for action.
2. Be self-controlled.
3. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1. In one verse God issues three commands (through Peter), one for each of the three aspects of our humanity: mind, body and soul. He knows that we will struggle with all three areas at different times in life so he reminds us that each one must be submitted to his will.

-It is interesting that we must prepare our MINDS for ACTION. Why would our minds need to be prepared for action, instead of our bodies? Isn’t action physical?

-The word “prepare” came from the Latin words “prae” (before) and “parare” (to get ready). Why is it necessary for our minds to be made ready before we are able to act for Christ?

2. “…(B)e self-controlled.” Usually our sin does not result from ignorance. We KNOW what we ought to do, we simply don’t DO it. Why is exercising self-control so challenging for us?
Self-control, however, is not as difficult as we think. We exercise self-control much more often than we realize. In the face of certain temptations, we simply choose not to excercise selfcontroll because we want the indulgence more than we want to do what’s right. We don’t speed past a police officer once we have spotted him. We choose to control our speed at that moment. Couples don’t yell at each other during worship. Although they might do it at home, they choose to control their tempers at church. Even children, once they are old enough, don’t break a rule if they think they’ll be caught. We all use our self-control when we want to. We choose whether to use self-control or not based on our perception of the consequences.

-Read vs. 14. God is saying that he knows we “know” better and he expects us to “do” better. How do we do it? In life, how do we follow the command to “be self-controlled?” 

-Are we willing to pray for God to help us use our self-control before we sin, as much as we pray for God to grant us grace after we sin?

Our use of self-control is greatly dependent on the first part of verse 13: preparing our minds. By investing time aligning our minds with the purposes of Christ we will automatically fortify our self-control and our desire to use it. Just spending time with Jesus inspires us to live for him. The second key to self-control and holiness is in the third part of verse 13.

3. “…(S)et your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Every bit of God’s expectation for us is still covered by his grace. Imagine this: A high school kicker, in the last few seconds of a tied game, stands behind the ball knowing every eye in the stadium is on him. If he makes it, he’s the hero; if not, he’s in disgrace. But what if the scene were different? Instead, he knows that if he should miss the goal, an NFL Pro Kicker, who’s been in the audience, will step in, kick the ball and win the game for him
Ok, it’s not real football, but what a relief! With the pressure off, he can relax and shine because he has nothing to lose if he tries his best. God wants our best shot, not our head on a platter. He isn’t waiting around to roast us over the coals if we mess up. He does, however, expect us to aim higher than we think we should because he’s got our back. That’s grace that gives us hope! Our hope for salvation is not based on our abilities, our talents, our connections, our status, our works, our service or our perfection. It is based on his GRACE, which never fails. Once we accept his perfection, once we acknowledge that grace is what saves us and not works, we can then see a life of holiness as attainable. Reflect on this thought: We are sanctified (made holy) BY HIS BLOOD (Heb.10:29, Rom.5:9). God’s grace will be there at the revealing of Christ, to bridge the gap between our efforts and his perfection. Trust in that.

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” Vs.15,16

The word “holy” comes from the Old English word “halig” from the base word “hal” which means “sound, whole.” Webster’s defines “holy” as:
1. dedicated to religious use; consecrated; sacred
2. spiritually pure; sinless; saintly
3. regarded with or deserving deep respect or reverence

When God commands us to “be holy” he isn’t saying “be perfect.” Rather he longs for us to live lives that are completely dedicated to him. Taking all of these definitions together we are able to get a better concept of what it means to “be holy.” It is interesting that our word for God is based on the concept of “wholeness” or “completeness.” We cannot possibly be complete and fulfilled until we empty ourselves of worldliness, and let God fill us up.

Definition #1. We are to be holy in terms of being “dedicated to God’s use”, a tool in his hands. He has “consecrated” us with the blood of Christ. In the church of Christ we do not label items or places “consecrated” or “sacred” the way that some other religious groups do. They worship in a “sanctuary” (holy place), we worship in an “auditorium” (from Latin audire “to hear” meaning “ a place to hear.”) In such churches there are many items reserved for use during a worship time, which would never be used at other times. These things (such as “holy” water or Christian symbols like a cross) are considered “sacred”. Although this concept is foreign to our way of thinking, it reflects God’s intention for us in holiness. “Sacred” things are respected, revered and set apart for religious use only. God wants us to be” sacred,” reserving our lives for his purposes, not wasting ourselves on worldly pursuits.

Definition #2. We are to keep ourselves “spiritually pure” by being a tool that works only at his command and in his ways. Since we know that God never asks more of us than he knows we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13), he wouldn’t ask us to be “sinless” in this life. Jesus was the only man who ever walked the face of the Earth and remained sinless. When we refer to God as holy, then “sinless” is part of that description. But God would not expect that of us here on Earth since he knows it’s impossible. 

Consider this thought. God is not bound, as we are, by time and space. His view is not limited to the present. He sees the past, the present and the future. He knows if we have truly chosen his way, and will join him in heaven. He also knows that once we are in heaven we will live ETERNALLY, SINLESSLY with him. He can see the big picture. As spiritual beings, the vast majority of our existence is in that sinless state in heaven. Compare it to a basketball game where in the first few seconds, the opposing team gets control of the ball and scores. But then your team recovers and for the rest of the game dominates the opposition. It would be silly to say you’re losers because of the first 3 seconds! In that respect, we aren’t “sinners” in God’s eyes because he can see the rest of our game. Even though we are stuck in the first 3 seconds here on Earth, very soon we will be holy and sinless in his Eternity. He is a God who “calls things that are not, as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17)

Definition #3 refers to someone or something that deserves reverence. We all know people whom we consider to be strong spiritually. We regard them with deep respect, not because they are perfect, but because they are dedicated to Christ. That is real life holiness.

Response Two: Reverent Fear and Trust

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” Vs. 17

-How does this verse resonate with you, the idea that God will judge our work impartially?
-If not based on his preference, by what standard will we be judged?
-What is it like to live as a stranger?

If you have ever lived in (or even visited for awhile) a foreign country, especially if you did not speak the language, you can relate to feeling like a stranger. It is intimidating to feel out of place. But God doesn’t want us to feel completely “at home” here on Earth. He wants us to be homesick travelers longing for heaven. He also expects us to “stick out” from the world. Although society pressures us to conform, if we have a reverent fear of him and a deep trust in his ways, we will be motivated to stand out from the crowd. True respect is a reflection of our appreciation for God’s authority over our lives. We cannot accept his authority unless we trust him. Trust in God is crucial if we are to submit to him. So why should we trust him? He tells us in verses 18-21. He gave up everything to save us. God spent the precious blood of Christ, his son, to buy this life for us. Don’t squander it.

Response Three: Sincere Love For One Another

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” Vs.22

This verse is so straightforward. Love one another deeply, from the heart. We all desire to be loved sincerely. The greatest command Christ gives us is to love God and others this way. Clearly this type of love is based, not on our emotions, but on God’s truth and Christ’s sacrifice. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Jesus set the example. We must follow it.

Response Four: Specific Instructions for Holy Relationships

“Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” 2:1

This verse speaks to some specifics of holy living that involve our relationships with other people. We are to get rid of:
Malice- The desire to harm others or to see others suffer.
Deceit- Intentional deviation from the truth.
Hypocrisy- Pretending you have beliefs, feelings or virtues you don’t have; falseness.
Envy- Discontentment with your own circumstances causing you to covet those of others.
Slander- Lying maliciously about someone to someone else.

Each of these behaviors/attitudes is only a problem in terms of how it affects others. They don’t truly exist without someone on the receiving end who is hurt by them. You can’t slander without someone to lie about. Deceit doesn’t happen until you fool someone. You envy someone. These are all intentional, hurtful behaviors and attitudes that ruin our relationships. You cannot be holy if you are harboring any of these. The desires of our hearts need to be for the things of God. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Vs. 2,3

Discussion

1. Our mind is the command center for all that we do in life. If we do not orient our minds to the things of Christ we will be incapable of accomplishing anything he is calling us to do. How do I prepare my mind for action?

2. In which areas of my life do I need to start exercising self-control? 
Speech? Spending? Eating? Judging Others? Thoughts? Anger? Worry? 

3. Am I still trying to earn my salvation? Do I think I can work my way into holiness or do I trust God to sanctify me?

4. Am I a sanctified tool on a shelf of God’s workroom, ready to go when he needs me? Or have I allowed myself to become dulled, cracked or rusted by use in worldly pursuits?

5. Which relationship in my life needs a sincere sacrifice of love? 

6. Do I earnestly desire to live the holy life God calls me to?



~ Elizabeth Gay

I am a former Montessori teacher of 7 years. My husband is Trey Gay and our son is Judson Gay (2 years old). We moved to Arkansas from Tennessee in November of 2001 and placed membership at Pleasant Valley shortly thereafter. I grew up in Charleston, S.C. then earned my B.A. from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. as a French and German double major. I have spent considerable time overseas attending 2 different universities in Germany and Austria, an International School in Switzerland and participating in 3 mission trips in Honduras and Ukraine. My passions are traveling, writing, and children and education.