What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “holy”? Fans of Chicago baseball may instantly think of Harry Caray’s famous exclamation of astonishment: “Holy cow.”
Most people, however, likely think of those qualities of God that make God fully distinct from humanity such as moral perfection and transcendent majesty. For most, holiness is something exclusive to the domain of the divine.
Yet in a number of places, the Bible calls for God’s people to be holy. Living holy lives is the clearest way we demonstrate our relationship to a holy God. While many may be aware of this biblical calling, it often is seen as an (unrealistic) ideal. It makes us uncomfortable mostly because it widely is associated with things we are not allowed to do. The focus is on negatives without much attention given to the positive aspects or even on why we are called to be holy.
The Hebrew term kadosh and the Greek hagios both carry the idea of being set apart, separated from sin. Holiness in living is what distinguishes a believer from the world. It is not a matter of being perfect or a list of things to avoid that takes all the fun out of life. It is not a lofty ideal or simply a matter of theology.
As D.L. Moody said: “It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. Lighthouses do not ring bells and fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.” But how? If it is more than what to avoid, how do we live holy lives? Following his introduction, Peter gives us three positive commands concerning how we can live in holiness.
Prepare your mind (1 Peter 1:13-16)
“Therefore” serves to connect this section with Peter’s introduction. The idea is that since we have this living hope, we should set our hope on God’s grace by preparing our minds for action. Everything we do begins with a thought, and thus any change in lifestyle must begin with changing the way we think.
Since believers know the truth, they should no longer think about the sinful desires and lies they once lived by. Here Peter echoes the words of Paul in verses such as Romans 12:2 and Philippians 4:8 but adds the note that we do this as we obey.
Again this is not a matter of adhering to a strict list of do’s and don’t’s, but is accomplished as we simply follow where God leads. As we conform to Jesus’ example, our lives take on that quality of holiness. In verse 16, Peter quotes from the book of Leviticus. In doing so, Peter is not affirming the need to follow all of the old ceremonial law, but is showing God’s desire from the beginning was that God’s people reflect his holiness by living holy lives. This begins as we set aside our old thought patterns and focus on the things of God.
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Fear the Lord (1 Peter 1:17-21)
As we set our minds on God, we come to realize how much God has done for us as well as the fact that it is God who ultimately will judge all of humanity. This knowledge then leads us to live our lives in fear of God.
This is not a anxious fear of a wrathful God who is watching closely waiting to punish us if we should step outside the lines. It is a reverent fear of a loving God who has redeemed us from a life of emptiness and futility.
In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul calls us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing God is working in us to bring about the divine plan for us. Here Peter adds this fear is motivated by an understanding of the majesty and greatness of God who determined a plan for redeeming humanity even before humanity needed redeeming.
The infinite love of God determined not even the life of Jesus would be withheld in paying humanity's ransom. My life was bought with his blood. Such an awareness should inspire us to live holy lives through which our reverence for God is evident to others.
Love one another (1 Peter 1:22-25)
In our world, where distrust and hatred lead us to draw more and more lines that divide us into “us verses them,” nothing will distinguish the holy life of a true follower of Christ more than a genuine love for others regardless of differences.
Jesus specifically told us this when he called us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44-45) and said our love for others, not our strict adherence to dogmatic beliefs, would be how the world would know we are children of God (John 13:35). Our love for others is to be the same love the Father has shown us—love that is deep and without hypocrisy from a reborn heart and through the living Spirit of God. Such love endures and is extended to all equally.
We are indeed called to live holy lives. Yet this is not a holiness defined by a set of rules. It is not a matter of outward appearance. It is about a radical change of heart; a change from the inside out. As the child’s song says, it is about letting our little light shine from within us through the power of a source greater than us.
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