Be Holy

Scripture: 1 Pet 1:13-16
Being Holy may not be a popular subject but powerful subject. Leonard Ravenhill said, the greatest miracle that the Lord can do is to take an unholy man from this unholy world, and make him holy and put him back into this unholy world and keep him holy.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 as obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 but just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NIV)

Many of us pretend to be holy when we are watched by others and then we begin to live the way we want. Many Christians live the way they want through the week and put on the holy mask on Sunday and to such people Peter exhorts, be holy, because God whom we worship is a holy God.
Peter is writing to the people who have come from pagan backgrounds and living in a pagan society who has the pressure from the world to conform to the patterns and the standard of this world.
The word holy means to be separate. The opposite of clean is unclean and the opposite of holy is common. Meaning the vessels we use for communion is not used for common use. They are separated for a special purpose. but we should regularly keep them clean.
That means we are to be set apart from the world unto God, separate from all sin.
In reality, when we accept Christ as our personal savior we are position ally sanctified,  through our faith journey we are progressively sanctified and when we meet the Lord we will be perfectly sanctified. 1 John 3:2 (made completely like him)
Anyone who is truly saved will strive through this earthly journey to become like His master. Because the Bible says in Heb 12:14, without holiness no one will see God.
Now Peter shows us 3 ways in which we can develop a holy life style.
1. Christ s second coming should motivate us for Holy living.
a. BEING HOLY BEGINS WITH THE MIND.
…  prepare your minds for action. “Gird up the loins of your mind”
 Be mentally prepared for action in the realm of holiness.
 Holiness begins with your thought life. What you think determines how you live.
 Deal with the sin at the thought level.
 When you have wicked thoughts concerning anything, confess them to the Lord and instantly replace them with the word of God.
 Your mind is the greatest battle ground. That s why Jesus says about lusting in the mind is adultery, hating in the heart is murder.
 No one commits any sinful actions before rehearsing the whole episode in their minds.
 You need to guard carefully what enters your mind.
 GIGA principle (garbage in garbage out)
b. BEING HOLY REQUIRES SPIRITUAL ALERTNESS.

….Be self controlled, be sober. It literally means “not drunk”. When you are sober, you have clarity in your thinking and you can make good judgments.
 Be sober is an oft repeated word used by Peter in his letter.
  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
 Illus: Leopard which came to Vibgour School.
 If you are not self controlled and keep your minds open to all the suggestions of this world then very soon, you will become a prey to the roaring lion who is looking for someone to devour.
 The only antidote is to feed on God s word. Live by His principles and not gratify the desires of your flesh.
 As the enemy is purpose driven in devouring you, you need to be purpose driven in living a pure and holy life.
c. BEING HOLY MUST BE MOTIVATED BY GRACE.
…hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
 Vs.13 begins with the word “therefore”, now whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible you need to as wherefore, meaning read the preceding verses which talks about the great work of salvation that the Lord has done in our lives.
 When Peter is writing these verses he is writing to people who are going through fiery trials and he says hang on to the Lord by hoping fully in the grace.
 It will not be long, when you will see Christ and there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering when we will see Him face to face.
 That is the blessed hope we all have that when we see Him we will become like Him.
2. Being holy, means we must be obedient children of the father.
….. As obedient children. Vs 14
a. BEING HOLY , WE MUST BREAK FREE FROM OUR PAST LIFE STYLE.
 … do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.vs.14
 Illus. of Sonali Mam
 In ignorance, meaning when you lived the way you thought was right. U lived to gratify your sinful desires. Like Solomon, who got all that his eyes desired and heart wanted. The Bible says there is a way that seems right to man and in the end it will lead to death.
 If you live to gratify your desires, it will end up only in death and destruction.
 Rom 12:2 says, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)
 The pattern of this world is by hook or crook get what you want, in a way you want it.
 One of the sad things these days many people believe part of the gospel that say they will have abundant life when they come to Christ and they don t want to accept the part of self denial and they want to use Jesus to become rich and nothing more and sadly they end up miserable and finally give up their faith. Life without transformation is not a true Christian life. It is fake. And very soon you will fall from the very faith that you professed.
b. BEING HOLY, WE MUST DEVELOP A HABIT OF OBEDIENCE.
 ….As obedient children. Vs. 14
 We must establish a habit of obedience in our daily walk with the Lord.
 Day by day I walk a little closer with my Lord, day by day.
 God s command is not cumbersome.
 When we love the Lord obeying His commands will become a delight to us.
 Every day when you read the Bible you need to ask, is there any command for me to obey?
 Obedience unlocks God s power in our lives.
 We may be going through fiery trials in our lives but when we obey the Lord in spite of them, we will see the blessing of God on our lives like Joseph.
c. BEING HOLY MEANS, THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL:
 so be holy in all you do;vs.15
 Be holy in your behavior. Vs. 15
 Be holy in all your conduct and life style.
 You cannot have a different life style on Sunday and another lifestyle on the weekdays.
 Our secular life should also become sacred to us.
 Our walk, our talk, our thoughts should be pleasing to the Lord everyday of our lives.
 Dan 1:8, Daniel resolved not to defile himself…..even when he was in his secular job.
 There was no distinction between his secular life and sacred life.
 No wonder the Lord honored him above every other minister by giving him insights.

3. For Being Holy we must grow in our knowledge of God s Holiness. Vs.15, 16
a. "Be holy, because I am holy."
   We need to be imitators of our heavenly father.
   He is a holy God and he expects his children to be holy.
   One of the attributes of God that is elevated to the third degree is Holy.
   Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts. Isa 6:3
   We don t read mercy, mercy, mercy or love, love, love, peace, peace, peace.
   The more we grow in our understanding of God s holiness the more our lives will     be transformed.
   Prophet Isaiah had a vision of God s holiness at His throne, he cried Oh I m a man of unclean lips…
   When you see the Holiness of God, you will understand the magnitude of your sin.  And then will you cry, oh I m a man of unclean lips.

Conclusion:
May the Lord help all of us to desire to live lives that are holy and pleasing in His sight.