1st Peter 1:16. “Because it is written, ‘Be ye holy: for I am holy.’” HOLY. There is a world of difference between God and mortal men Yet He makes a command that we be holy like Him. How can such a thing ever happen to us who are born in sin? Devotedness and dedication are possible by the Spirit within.
To be holy involves being set apart as a vessel for God’s use To be holy means I allow the Spirit to guide in everything I choose To be holy means turning from sin and its terrible influence
To be holy involves walking with God so His favor I will not lose.
To be holy means I’m different, yet not different for “different’s” sake But it will show reality when a different road I take And there will be a difference also in the decisions I will make The “peculiar people” designation will produce holiness I can’t fake.
What qualities I see in God, He wants to see in me The things that are important to Him are now my priority The focus of my life and efforts should help other people see Even though I am not perfectly holy now, in the future I will be.
They should see a contrast between me and the world’s ways There should be evidence that I intend to act on what God says My concern is to let holiness be seen throughout the coming days And that God’s holiness be seen in me as a result of God’s free grace.
“I know I am a work in progress Father God, and I pray that I will be empowered by the Spirit to let Thy holiness be shown through me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.” BE DIFFERENT The manner of life that is consistent with our profession of faith, even when it leads to suffering, means that we will be dedicated to Him and our devotion to Him will set us apart from the influence of sin. To that extent we will not blend in with those who love and practice sin. It can be offensive to people when we are different just for the sake of being different. We can't help there being a contrast between righteous and sinful living.
Reverential fear has a certain dignity about it that reflects a wholesome respect for God. This is not the terror of fright that is a cowardly fear but the true recognition of the nature of the One before whom we live. This is not a casual use of words we use with equals who are similar to use in nature. Rather it is an awareness of the fact the Almighty God of the universe has commissioned us with a work. He has equipped us to do what He expects and to accomplish that work. We are to "persuade men" to seek the Lord while He may be found.
When our minds are focused on Christ, and the precious blood He shed to redeem us, we can realize the futility of life without Christ. Silver and gold are "corruptible" and the whole world is in bondage to that which is corruptible. Being redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ" frees us from that bondage. in order for freedom to be a practical reality to us daily, we need to pay attention to what we look at; think about the consequences of sin instead of the pleasures of sin; commit ourselves to have a reverence for God from the beginning a each to the end; and make it a point to communicate with Christ in specific way during the day. In practicing these things, we can maintain our focus on those things that will honor and glorify Him.