Here we are, four days into covering the same three verses. But, I do believe it is worth our time to reinforce Peter’s exhortation with scripture and commentary from our Christian brothers who have since moved on to claim their inheritance. Today I want to move into verses 15 and 16 and take a look at the Biblical call to holiness. What is holiness? How can we follow Peter’s demand that we be holy, and even more, Christ’s command that we be perfect?
13 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:13-16
God is holy
I mentioned yesterday that Peter is exhorting us to be holy because (or as, as Peter writes) God is holy. But, how do we know that Peter means God, and not Christ? We know Peter means God because Peter says, as He (capitalization mine) who called you is holy. Who called us? God called us. Please see Called: The Quest: Day 18.0 if you are unclear on this.
But, even if you accept that it is God who calls, how do we know that Peter is in agreement with that? Peter, while further exhorting his readers to holiness, elaborates on the condition of his audience in 1 Peter 2. Initially, in his salutation, he calls them the elect…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father (1 Peter 1:1-2). In 1 Peter 2:9, he calls them, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So, we can see that Peter not only is referring to God as the one who elects or calls in the salutation, but later he doubles-down on the notion.
Be conformed to the holiness of God
Peter doesn’t use the word conformed in the positive since when calling us to holiness. He tells us what not to be conformed to – the lusts of our former lives as ignoramuses. Yesterday we elaborated on the negative, though, and if you would like to explore that topic, please see Inordinate Desire: The Quest: Day 27.0. However, I would argue that we can infer his instructions in a way that incorporates a positive use of conformed. I think we could paraphrase like this: do not be conformed to the lust that ruled in you before you heard the gospel, 15 but be conformed to the image of the holy God who called you.
What is holiness?
Holiness is the image of God, his likeness, in him that is holy. By being conformed unto God is not meant a conformity to him in his eternity, or infinity, or infinite power. These are God’s inimitable and incommunicable attributes; but a conformity to his will, whereby he wills things that are just, right, and truly excellent and lovely; whereby he wills real perfection, and goodness; and perfectly abhors everything that is really evil, unjust, and unreasonable. And it is not only a willing as God wills, but also a doing as he cloth: in acting holily and justly and wisely and mercifully, like him. It must become natural thus to be, and thus to act; it must be the constant inclination and new nature of the soul, and then the man is holy, and not before.
Jonathan Edwards, The Way of Holiness
Jonathon Edwards defined holiness for us in a way that lines up remarkably (is it really remarkable? Oughtn’t we to expect it?) well with the lines we’ve just read from Peter. His words incorporate the definition of holiness. Then, they delve into what it means for the Christian to be conformed to the image of God. I love that Edwards doesn’t here give us a starting point, but a vision of the end state of sanctification. In the end, the Christian will will be completely God’s will. A Christian’s actions will be like the actions of God. Ultimately, the Christian’s soul will trade what was once natural for a constant inclination and new nature of the soul through sanctification.
Sanctification – the path to holiness
I am not sure about you, (who are you, anyway?) but there are times when I feel sanctification is sure taking its time. Certainly there are times when I feel particularly engaged with the word, with my Christian brothers and sisters around me, and feel a sort of blessed contentment with my will and actions. But, that has not been the rule. There have been many long months, even years, where I felt I was going nowhere, or at least going in circles.
I believe my sanctification toward holiness is occurring, and will be completed in the end. But, I have become impatient many times. There are promises, of course. Paul writes this in Thessalonians:
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
God is faithful. Unless you just became a Christian very recently, you can look back on your life – even in the last week or month – and see blessings. For me, I notice them most in God’s guidance. We are getting long here, but someday I would like to draw out for you the various paths down which my life has proceeded. If I told you all of it, you would doubt my authenticity. God is truly amazing. He has plans for us that are not our own. Life takes varied and strange turnings we never expected. We could see naturalistic determinism, i.e., coincidence in each. But, if we are pursuing our great Captain, and following him, we would never name any of them coincidence.
Holiness, the endgame of sanctification
John Owen wrote some great lines regarding the Holy Spirit’s action in our lives regarding sanctification and the path to holiness. Like Jonathon Edwards, Owen writes about not only the process, but the endgame. It is a beautiful insight.
Sanctification is a fruit of that peace with God which he has made and prepared for us by Jesus Christ. ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Corinthians 5:19).
God, by sanctifying our natures, keeps that peace which we have with him. It is holiness that keeps up a sense of peace with God, and prevents those spiritual sins which still tend to break out from the corrupt nature still left within us. So God, as the author of our peace, is also the author of our holiness.
He will sanctify us completely, that is, entirely. No part of us will be left sinful or under the power of sin. Our whole nature is the subject of this work. He will make holy every part of us. And this work will eventually be perfected.
John Owen, The Holy Spirit
The beauty of holiness
Holiness is not drab and silent. It is jubilant. Through holiness we can face trials with joy (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7) because we know sanctification comes through perseverance. Life is full of trials, to be sure, but it is also filled with moments and seasons of mirth. Through holiness we can view all moments – trials and triumphs – through the lens of joy. When we are being sanctified, our minds and wills – and thereby our actions – are conformed into the likeness of Christ and to the image of God. This is a beautiful thing. It is in no way fusty or dull. Rather, it is full to bursting with the essence of life, and a life fully lived.
Let’s close for today with another passage by Jonathon Edwards. I hope you profited from this exploration of 1 Peter and of holiness!
Holiness is a most beautiful, lovely thing. Men are apt to drink in strange notions of holiness from their childhood, as if it were a melancholy, morose, sour, and unpleasant thing; but there is nothing in it but what is sweet and ravishingly lovely. ‘Tis the highest beauty and amiableness, vastly above all other beauties; ’tis a divine beauty, makes the soul heavenly and far purer than anything here on earth-this world is like mire and filth and defilement [compared] to that soul which is sanctified-’tis of a sweet, lovely, delightful, serene, calm, and still nature. ‘Tis almost too high a beauty for any creature to be adorned with; it makes the soul a little, amiable, and delightful image of the blessed Jehovah. How may angels stand with pleased, delighted, and charmed eyes, and look and look with smiles of pleasure upon that soul that is holy!
Jonathan Edwards, The Way of Holiness
