CALLED TO BE HOLY 1 Peter 1:15-16 Troy Self, Associate Pastor

CALLED TO BE HOLY CALLED TO BE HOLY

1 Peter 1:15-161 Peter 1:15-16

Troy Self, Associate PastorTroy Self, Associate Pastor

AN OUTLINEAN OUTLINE

I. A WARNING, V. 14I. A WARNING, V. 14

II. AN EXHORTATION, V. 15II. AN EXHORTATION, V. 15

III. A CONFIRMATION, V. 16III. A CONFIRMATION, V. 16

I. Warning, in two parts:I. Warning, in two parts:

A. AA. Againstgainst indulgence indulgence

B. About iB. About ignorancegnorance

1 Peter 1:141 Peter 1:14

As obedient children…As obedient children… We are called We are called children, not by birth but by achildren, not by birth but by adoptiondoption. .

ObedientObedient: Strong: attentive hearkening, : Strong: attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or that is, (by implication) compliance or ssubmissionubmission

Obedience brings bObedience brings blessingslessings……disobedience causes conflicts.disobedience causes conflicts.


I. A WARNING I. A WARNING

A. IA. INDULGENCENDULGENCE

True holiness has a negative aspect. It is True holiness has a negative aspect. It is experienced when believers are nexperienced when believers are notot being conformed to the former lusts. being conformed to the former lusts.

Fashioning yourselves Fashioning yourselves means “to be shaped by” means “to be shaped by” or “conformed”or “conformed”

Kistemaker: the world has its own lifestyle to Kistemaker: the world has its own lifestyle to which believers often are drawn, but Peter warns which believers often are drawn, but Peter warns them not to conform to the ethem not to conform to the evilvil desires that are desires that are prominent in the world.prominent in the world.


B. IGNORANCEB. IGNORANCE

the former lusts in your ignorancethe former lusts in your ignorance

For believers, such former lusts …For believers, such former lusts …were theirs in ignorance, before they were were theirs in ignorance, before they were saved and when they did not know any saved and when they did not know any better: better:

Philips: How dare we be ignorant of the Philips: How dare we be ignorant of the means of gmeans of gracerace available to us. available to us.


Philips [cont.] The NT has much to say Philips [cont.] The NT has much to say about the new life we have in Christ, the about the new life we have in Christ, the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the principle of an eprinciple of an exchangedxchanged life, the unique life, the unique position that is ours in Christ, the position that is ours in Christ, the cleansing power of His blood, and His high cleansing power of His blood, and His high priestly work on our behalf. We must priestly work on our behalf. We must come to grips with our ‘former lusts’ by come to grips with our ‘former lusts’ by availing ourselves of these provisions!availing ourselves of these provisions!


Obedience to God indicates Obedience to God indicates negativelynegatively that his children will not go on living that his children will not go on living as they used to do, molded by as they used to do, molded by whatever their sinful dwhatever their sinful desiresesires suggest. suggest.

II. AN EXHORTATIONII. AN EXHORTATION

It is unfortunate that holiness is a subject that It is unfortunate that holiness is a subject that makes a lot of believers very nmakes a lot of believers very nervouervous. s.

Woodside Baptist Church puts a great emphasis Woodside Baptist Church puts a great emphasis upon the practicalities of a lupon the practicalities of a lifeife of holiness. of holiness.

In the eyes of the unsaved, a believer who sIn the eyes of the unsaved, a believer who saysays nothing and dnothing and doesoes nothing is fine, but a believer nothing is fine, but a believer who tries to apply and promote his faith is to be who tries to apply and promote his faith is to be rejected and ridiculed. rejected and ridiculed.

The whole subject of holiness is one fraught with The whole subject of holiness is one fraught with difficulty, for people both idifficulty, for people both insidenside and outside the and outside the church. church.

HOLINESS DHOLINESS DEFINEDEFINED

The original meaning of the ancient biblical The original meaning of the ancient biblical word translated word translated holyholy is ‘to be s is ‘to be separateeparate……separated’ and accordingly ‘to be different’ separated’ and accordingly ‘to be different’ and ‘to be distinct’. and ‘to be distinct’.

God has chosen this word God has chosen this word holyholy to describe to describe hhimselfimself. He quite definitely states that . He quite definitely states that holyholy is his name. is his name.

When God attributes the name holy to When God attributes the name holy to himself, he is drawing attention to the fact himself, he is drawing attention to the fact that he is separate, different, dthat he is separate, different, distinctistinct, , transcendent; he is ‘totally other’. transcendent; he is ‘totally other’.


Now, positively, obedience to God Now, positively, obedience to God necessitates becoming holy lnecessitates becoming holy likeike him. him.

The world The world holyholy came to express the came to express the essential character of God himself, essential character of God himself, summed up in such terms as psummed up in such terms as purityurity, , truth, sincerity, righteousness and truth, sincerity, righteousness and opposition to evil. opposition to evil.


Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44 [also cited Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44 [also cited in Lev. 19:2], a command that God directed in Lev. 19:2], a command that God directed to the people of Israel as they journeyed to to the people of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land. It referred to their the Promised Land. It referred to their character as God’s people in keeping his character as God’s people in keeping his commands. commands.

HolyHoly, therefore, includes the sense of , therefore, includes the sense of bbelongingelonging to God, a people marked off and to God, a people marked off and separate from the world by their way of separate from the world by their way of life.life.


Let us remember that holiness affects Let us remember that holiness affects not only our personal relationship to not only our personal relationship to God, but all our relationships. God, but all our relationships.

It affects It affects allall you do [manner of you do [manner of conversation = your cconversation = your conductonduct], and ], and Peter is greatly interested in this Peter is greatly interested in this theme [2:12; 3:1, 2, 16]. theme [2:12; 3:1, 2, 16].


Examples: Examples: Isaiah [Isaiah 6:3]. Isaiah [Isaiah 6:3]. Joshua speaking to Israel [Joshua 24:15-19]. Joshua speaking to Israel [Joshua 24:15-19].

You haven’t grasped his oYou haven’t grasped his othernesstherness, his , his

transcendence, his distinctiveness. You transcendence, his distinctiveness. You haven’t begun to understand that to serve haven’t begun to understand that to serve the Lord means to recognize that he is so the Lord means to recognize that he is so totally different than all you are and all you totally different than all you are and all you have, and all you do is going to be totally have, and all you do is going to be totally different. different.


It doesn’t just mean to be different or ‘other’, It doesn’t just mean to be different or ‘other’, but it means to be dbut it means to be differentifferent or distinct, or distinct, separate, as God is different and distinct.separate, as God is different and distinct.

As we see this idea in Scripture developing As we see this idea in Scripture developing throughout the OT, we see dthroughout the OT, we see daysays and t and thingshings are called holy…soon we see that people are called holy…soon we see that people are set apart and are called a holy people. are set apart and are called a holy people.

Peter echoes this statement further in his Peter echoes this statement further in his epistle—that Christians are a holy nepistle—that Christians are a holy nationation [people]. [people].


If holy people are to be clearly distinguishable, If holy people are to be clearly distinguishable, they must exhibit distinctive lthey must exhibit distinctive lifestylesifestyles based on based on different ethical considerations derived from the different ethical considerations derived from the Holy One. Holy One.

Now in the NT, we discover that the emphasis Now in the NT, we discover that the emphasis switched from outward ceremony to inward switched from outward ceremony to inward consecration—a change of hconsecration—a change of hearteart, not merely a , not merely a change of clothes! change of clothes!

NT holiness in the heart produces a holy people NT holiness in the heart produces a holy people who dwho desireesire what the Holy One desires and who what the Holy One desires and who act upon what the Holy One wants and wills.act upon what the Holy One wants and wills.

HOLINESS DHOLINESS DESIREDESIRED

In many hIn many heartsearts, there is no great desire to be holy. , there is no great desire to be holy.

A. We are motivated by the cA. We are motivated by the characterharacter of God! of God!

Both the old and new testaments speak about his Both the old and new testaments speak about his holiness mholiness moreore than any other attribute of God. than any other attribute of God. The descriptive adjective The descriptive adjective holyholy describes the describes the state and action of God’s bstate and action of God’s beingeing. .

God is sGod is sinlessinless, cannot be influenced by sin, and in , cannot be influenced by sin, and in his holiness destroys sin. his holiness destroys sin.

The qThe qualityuality, attribute of God that drew us to him is , attribute of God that drew us to him is holiness, and so how can we be against it in our holiness, and so how can we be against it in our own lives?own lives?


B. We are motivated by the cB. We are motivated by the callall of God! of God!

He called us to a rHe called us to a relationshipelationship with him. He with him. He called us to himself. Romans 8:29-30 called us to himself. Romans 8:29-30

That’s God’s ultimate pThat’s God’s ultimate purposeurpose, to make me , to make me like his Son Jesus Christ, and that means like his Son Jesus Christ, and that means he is conforming me to be holy, separate, he is conforming me to be holy, separate, distinct from the people, culture, edistinct from the people, culture, ethicsthics and conduct of this rotten old world. and conduct of this rotten old world.


C. We are motivated by the command of C. We are motivated by the command of God!God!

I can be holy while doing nothing…I cannot I can be holy while doing nothing…I cannot however, be nhowever, be nothingothing and be holy! and be holy!

Yet the Bible calls us sYet the Bible calls us saintsaints; that is, we are ; that is, we are made holy through Jesus Christ.made holy through Jesus Christ.

As saints we receive God’s call to holy As saints we receive God’s call to holy llivingiving. .

Peter expects the believers to be iPeter expects the believers to be imitatorsmitators of of God in respect to holiness. God in respect to holiness.

III. A CIII. A Confirmationonfirmation [from the OT] [from the OT]

D. We are motivated by the consistency of D. We are motivated by the consistency of God. God.

Peter opens the Scriptures and appeals to Peter opens the Scriptures and appeals to the hthe highestighest authority. authority.

He offers confirmation of his tHe offers confirmation of his teachingeaching with with words spoken by God himself. words spoken by God himself.

Peter takes the written word from LPeter takes the written word from Leviticuseviticus 11:44-45. 11:44-45.

He appeals to Leviticus, for it features the He appeals to Leviticus, for it features the tthemeheme holinessholiness. .

III. A CIII. A Confirmationonfirmation

In fact, the adjective In fact, the adjective hholyoly appears more appears more often in Leviticus than in any other book of often in Leviticus than in any other book of the Bible. the Bible.

Peter is pointing out that throughout the OT Peter is pointing out that throughout the OT God has revealed himself as holy, making God has revealed himself as holy, making holy dholy demandsemands upon his people. upon his people.

He has shown them the rewards of holiness, He has shown them the rewards of holiness, and he has also shown them the and he has also shown them the consequences if they refuse to be holy. consequences if they refuse to be holy. He has always been, presently is, and He has always been, presently is, and always salways shallhall be, HOLY. be, HOLY.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

Peter is concerned that the way in which Peter is concerned that the way in which Christians live should testify to their fChristians live should testify to their faithaith in God, show the character of God and in God, show the character of God and give cgive credibilityredibility to the gospel; the behavior to the gospel; the behavior of Christians should be an incentive for of Christians should be an incentive for other people to bother people to believeelieve! !

God calls his people out of a world of sin to God calls his people out of a world of sin to a life of holiness; and he expects that a life of holiness; and he expects that whatever we do, say, or twhatever we do, say, or thinkhink is holy. is holy.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

The daily confession of the Christian ought The daily confession of the Christian ought to be: to be:

‘‘So shall no pSo shall no partart of day or night from of day or night from sacredness be free.’—Horatius Bonar sacredness be free.’—Horatius Bonar

Peter expects the believers to be iPeter expects the believers to be imitatorsmitators of of God in respect to holiness.God in respect to holiness.

SO WHAT?SO WHAT?

Have you been cHave you been calledalled by God to salvation? by God to salvation?Do you realize we evidence repentance and Do you realize we evidence repentance and

conversion by a desire to be holy?conversion by a desire to be holy?Do you cDo you craverave God through Christ? His God through Christ? His

fellowship and love? His relationship?fellowship and love? His relationship?Do you recognize areas of your lDo you recognize areas of your lifeife that are that are

not consistent with holiness?not consistent with holiness?Are you willing to separate yourself from Are you willing to separate yourself from

those former lusts and wthose former lusts and walkalk as an as an obedient child of God?obedient child of God?

Documents

CALLED TO BE HOLY 1 Peter 1:15-16 Troy Self, Associate Pastor