1 Peter 1:16: Because it is written, ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy’.
Every question asked of the Lord fell into one of four fundamental categories: origin, meaning, morality or destiny. From these four categories, all of the essentials of the faith may be addressed. So while people may be asking very diverse questions, the answers are actually found in one (or more) of these four basic categories. Morality is a code of conduct by which one lives his life. But who decides what is moral – what is right or wrong? For the Scriptural answer, we examine:
- Historical Context: 1 Peter 1:1 identifies the author of the book as the Apostle Peter, likely written between 60 and 65 A.D. Peter understood persecution. He was beaten, threatened, punished and jailed for preaching the Word of God. He knew what it took to stand strong. This knowledge of living hope in Jesus was the message and Christ’s example was the one to follow. Peter handed down rules for wives, husbands, slaves, elders and people in general. Peter is in the midst of persecution which is a result of standing firm upon Christ’s teaching which, summarized, are the convictions derived from the Lord’s definitive declaration of right and wrong. These are not debatable, amendable, subject to dispute or time-sensitive even in the midst of intense persecution.
- Grammatical Usage: Peter is quoting from Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 19:2. “Holy” or “qadosh” in the Hebrew means, “distinct from the common or profane…intrinsic to God, free of character imperfection, absolute separation between sacred and profane.” [Anything less than faithfulness to Biblical absolutes constitutes a rationalization which, defined, is the lowering of a standard. Those who practice situation ethics, including believers, are guilty of rationalization. Those who challenge the concept of moral absolutes should be asked if the absolutely believe that. The paradox of the question is that, no matter how they answer, they must confirm the concept if not reality of moral absolutes.] Consequently in 1 Peter 1:15, 16 the term means, “fundamental separation, devoted to God involving Divine demands upon the conduct of believers which is characteristically defined as ‘godlikeness’.”
- Literal Application: chief implication being that which is “holy” is not only distinct from the profane, but in opposition to it; definitive positioning without recourse; i.e., a conviction.
- Contextual Interpretation: What does it mean that God is holy? Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 and Isaiah 6:3 are just two of many examples of passages about God’s holiness. Another way to say it is absolute perfection. God is unlike any other (see Hosea 11:9), and His holiness is the essence of that “otherness.” His very being is completely absent of even a trace of sin (James 1:13; Hebrews 6:18). He is high above any other, and no one can compare to Him (Psalm 40:5). God’s holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes. His love is a holy love, His mercy is holy mercy, and even His anger and wrath are holy anger and holy wrath. These concepts are difficult for humans to grasp, just as God is difficult for us to understand in His entirety. Next, what does it mean for us to be holy? When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus 11 and 19, He was instructing them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations to govern their lives. Israel is God’s chosen nation and God has set them apart from all other people groups. They are His special people, and consequently they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would know they belonged to Him. For example, the Ten Commandments are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 600+ commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The second six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. When Peter repeats the Lord’s words in 1 Peter 1:16, he is talking specifically to believers. As believers, we need to be “set apart” from the world unto the Lord, minding our relationship with Him as well as the world. We need to be living by God’s standards, not the world’s. God isn’t calling us to be perfect, but to be distinct from the world. First Peter 2:9 describes believers as “a holy nation.” It is a fact! We are separated from the world; we need to live out that reality in our day-to-day lives, which Peter tells us how to do in 1 Peter 1:13-16.
- Scriptural Comparison: When we read of the “world” in the New Testament, we are reading the Greek word cosmos. Cosmos most often refers to the inhabited earth and the people who live on the earth, which functions apart from God. Satan is the ruler of this “cosmos” (John 12:31; 16:11; 1 John 5:19). By the simple definition that the word world refers to a world system ruled by Satan, we can more readily appreciate 1. Christ’s claims that believers are no longer of the world—we are no longer ruled by sin, nor are we bound by the principles of the world. In addition, 2. we are being changed into the image of Christ, causing our interest in the things of the world to become less and less as we mature in Christ. Believers in Jesus Christ are simply in the world—physically present—but not of it, not part nor a participant of its values (John 17:14-15). As believers, we should be set apart from the world. This is the meaning of being holy and living a holy, righteous life—to be set apart, but set apart according to the indisputable standards of right and wrong as established by God. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to retain the insipid, corrupt mind that the world creates. Rather, we are to conform ourselves, and our minds, to that of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). This is a daily activity and commitment. We must also understand that being in the world, but not of it, is necessary if we are to be a light to those who are in spiritual darkness. We are to live in such a way that those outside the faith see our good deeds and our manner and know that there is something “different” about us. Christians, who make every effort to live, think and act like those who do not know Christ do Him a great disservice. Even the heathen knows that “by their fruits you shall know them,” and as Christians, we should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit within us. Colossians 3:1-6 specifically instructs to, “…set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.” While more than just a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” the Bible does give us detailed instructions on how to live as a Christian should. The Bible is all we need to know about how to live the Christian life. However, the Bible does not explicitly cover every single situation we will face in our lives. How then is it sufficient? While God’s Word may not cover each and every situation we face throughout our lives, its convictions give us the standards by which we must carry ourselves in those situations where there are no explicit instructions.
Conclusion: Being “in” the world also means we can enjoy the things of the world, such as the beautiful creation God has given us, but we are not to immerse ourselves in what the world values, nor are we to chase after worldly pleasures. Pleasure is no longer our calling in life, as it once was, but rather the worship of God which is our “delight”. It is important to remember that a worldview is comprehensive. It affects every area of life, from money to morality, from politics to art. True Christianity is more than a set of ideas to use at church. Christianity as taught in the Bible is itself a worldview – a complete way of life. The Bible never distinguishes between a “religious” and a “secular” life; the Christian life is the only life there is. Jesus proclaimed Himself “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and, in doing so, proclaimed that “hodos” or He, Christ, is personified as the exclusive means of access to the Father; that “aletheia” or, He, Christ, is beyond “ethics” but truth in fullness and scope perfectly expressed in word and deed; and that “zoe” is life intensive: life in the absolute sense, eternal in the present actual possession inseparable from holiness and righteousness. Hence, Christ is exclusive, perfect and absolute – in other words, “Holy.”