1 PETER 1:13-16
The point is this: God is not far off and removed from man. God has revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
man is to look at Jesus Christ and see God, and he is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Man is to obey God; he is to obey God
so much that he will become a child of obedience. The world and its lusts are no longer to control our lives. The Lord Jesus
Christ is to dominate our lives. We are to focus and concentrate upon Him and the glorious grace and salvation that He is to
bring at His revelation.
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Mt.7:21).
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a
wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one
that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which
built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Mt.7:24-27).
“For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and
sister, and mother” (Mt.12:50).
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (Jn.14:21).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (Jn.14:23).
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s com-
mandments, and abide in his love....Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you”
(Jn.15:10, 14).
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev.22:14).
“This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou
shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul” (Dt.26:16).
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt
make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Josh.1:8).
3
(1:15-16) Holiness: focus upon holiness. Holy (hagios) means to be righteous, pure, sinless, and godly; to be perfect,
complete, and fulfilled in every possible sense; to be separated and entirely different from all other beings and things.
The believer is to be holy, that is...
• righteous, pure, sinless, and godly.
• perfect, complete, and fulfilled.
• separated, entirely different from all who live worldly.
There are three reasons why believers are to live holy lives.
1. God is holy. He is the very embodiment and perfection of absolute holiness (see DEEPER STUDY # 1, Holy—
1 Pt.1:15-16 for more discussion).
⇒ God is the embodiment of absolute righteousness, purity, sinlessness, and godliness.
⇒ God is the very embodiment of absolute perfection, completeness, and fulfillment.
⇒ God is the very embodiment of absolute separation—different and set apart and separated from all else.
2. God has called believers to be holy in all of life. God’s very purpose in saving us is to have a people who will be
just like Him and who can live with Him eternally. God’s purpose is for us...
• to be holy, righteous, pure, sinless, and godly.
• to be perfect, complete, and fulfilled.
• to be separated from the world and set apart unto Him.
God does not want us corruptible and dying with the world. God wants us holy; He wants us set apart to be just like Him.
God wants us to live with Him eternally. But to live with Him eternally, we must be like Him: we must be holy. Therefore,
we must pursue, seek, and go after holiness. We must live holy, pure, righteous, and godly lives. We must seek and go after
God; we must seek to be like God while on this earth. If we do, then God gives us the most glorious of hopes: the hope of
eternal salvation.
3. Scripture demands holiness. It is written in Scripture: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (Lev.11:45; 19:2; 20:7, 26). We
have no choice: this is the command of Scripture itself. If we wish to be God’s, then we must live like God. We must live
lives that are holy.
“For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall there-
fore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev.11:45).
“That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve
him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life” (Lk.1:74-75).
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor.7:1).
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb.12:14).
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Pt.1:16).
“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness” (2 Pt.3:11).
“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy” (Ps.99:9).
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