Mission Venture Ministries

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16) 

Let us take a look at what it means to be holy. 

Peter is addressing believers in these verses and in verse 1:16, and is quoting directly from Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 19:2.  

As believers, we need to be “set apart” from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God’s standards, not the world’s. God is calling us to be distinct from the world as we read further on in Peter’s letter: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). 

Being set apart from the world, we need to live our day-to-day lives as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:13-16. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, rather, each one is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). 

Walking in holiness requires the Holy Spirit we receive when we become “new creations.” When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). Holiness is only possible when we are put on the new self and live life as the new creatures God ordained us to be. Although holiness isn’t natural to us, we are instructed in Scripture to pursue holiness. 

We need to comprehend that if we have believed in Christ for salvation, we have been washed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit and set apart from the world to live a holy life. 

God expects us to cultivate a lifestyle of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16) and commands us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). 

Perfecting holiness means that we should be increasing in spiritual fruitfulness every day. We are to consider ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11), refusing to revert back to our former lifestyles. 

As Paul told Timothy, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21). 

Holiness is the mark of every true Christian as the apostle John wrote: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God (1 John 3:9-10). 

Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and accepting His gift of eternal life. If we have not placed our faith in God’s Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure that we are born-again believers as we see Jesus instructing Nicodemus in John 3. 

If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world (1 Peter 2:9); since we have a relationship with the living God! Then we must live daily a set-apart life, not trying to “blend in” with the world, but instead living according to God’s Word as we study the Bible and grow in knowledge and holiness. 

Holiness is a requirement for every believer because, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). The difference between God and us is that He is inherently Holy while we, on the other hand, only become holy in relationship to Christ as we mature spiritually. 

While on this earth, the Holy Spirit will produce Christ likeness in us as we yield to Him in pursue of holiness, the final attainment being completed when we are with Him. 

This is, perhaps, the most important lesson that we can learn as Christians. God’s ultimate desire for His people is that we be holy, conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29). 

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who walked in Holiness. If we look at how He lived and exemplified Holiness, we see a life committed to honoring God, showing love, honoring parents, serving others, and keeping our body holy. 

Having a relationship with the Father is imperative to those who want to be holy. And we are equipped for being holy when we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). 

The choices we make today will make a difference for eternity, so let us chose to be holy because our heavenly Father desires that of us. 

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