Read I Peter 1:13-16
…for it is written: “Be holy because I am holy.” (v 16)
Some Thoughts…
“After the indicative (revealing) of God’s mysterious salvation comes the imperatives (commands) of Christ-like living…” (Downey), Peter tells us that because God has done such an indescribable thing by granting forgiveness and salvation to any of us who would turn to Him, that there are some things we need to do; things we could not do without God first acting on our behalf – for without salvation, Godly living is impossible!
There are at least 4 commands, or imperatives, for those of us who have crossed from old life into the new life, being reborn in Christ:
1) Clear your mind of clutter, be sober in your thinking, and get ready for action (v13a). We are in the middle of a spiritual war for souls. There is no time for passivity or laziness. We must be thinking straight so we can be ready for the day’s battle to love, forgive, and stand for what is right and just for all people. We must be ready (see Ephesians 5:15ff). And this readiness is born in the mind that is sober in it’s ability to see and understand that this world we live in is passing away – or giving way to a greater existence (see Luke 12:38ff).
2) Have a firm grip on Hope (v 13b)– Our clarity of mind comes from the firm grip that we keep on our HOPE. And what is our hope? It is the powerful conviction that our Savior will return and take us to our true home. And if we die before that day, we will be ushered into that unknown/yet strangely familiar place in the presence of Jesus. Hope gives us the power we need in our present attempts at readiness. “The plain fact is that no man sees the greatness of the present, unless he regards it as being the vestibule of the future” (Alexander Maclean).
3) Do not conform to the world system, but obey God’s system (v 14) – We are reborn in Christ or as Peter worded it in the original Greek: we are “children of obedience.” We have a new capacity because of this great salvation that has regenerated the image of God in us to live life the way God originally intended us to live. Instead of living in rebellion to God, we find ourselves obeying those holy laws we once rejected as closed-minded and out-of-date. And now our hope is confirmed and strengthened as we obey and we become more like Jesus (see Philippians 2:5 ff) and we live to imitate our Maker (see Ephesians 5:1; Matthew 5:48; 1 Thessalonians 2:12).
4) Be holy as God is holy (v 15-16) – This is the goal for all believers. We were created in the image of God to be like Him in His love, grace, mercy, power, justice, etc… Holiness can be defined as a person who is different from the average and set apart for God’s special use – We are not better but we are no longer the same…When Christ enters a life, that life is forever changed… We now live as “resident-aliens”… We’ve got our “heavenly green card” and we spend our time making this place better as we wait for our eternal homecoming.
So the mystery of salvation comes full circle. We are saved by grace to live fully in God’s plan and presence – it is born in an uncluttered mind, spurred on by an unexplainable hope, fleshed out in faithful obedience, and lived out in divine distinctiveness…
A Prayer…
Father, may I prepare my mind to think Your thoughts to focus my attention on the hope that Your grace is all I need and because of that amazing grace live like a child in total obedience to You so that You can make me like Your Son, Jesus – for Your glory and kingdom’s sake! Amen.