Holiness

Read 1 Peter 1:13-16

Context: Continuation from yesterday

Text:
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."[a] (NIV)

Footnotes:

1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7
taken from www.biblegateway.com

God is holy -- in fact he's the definition of holy. And he's told us four times that we, too, should be holy like he is (well, now it's five since Peter brought it up again). Isn't our lack of holiness and righteousness the very thing that makes it impossible for us to be close to God on our own?

The original Greek word Peter used here doesn't help us much -- it is 'hagios', and it means 'most holy thing, a saint.' When you look at the words that are synonyms, Strong's Greek reference has this to say:

"means sacred, implying some special relation to God, so
that it may not be violated. It refers, however, to formal relation
rather than to character. It designates an external relation, which
ordinarily is not an internal relation as well. It is used to describe
persons or things."

It goes on to say that the word didn't necessarily have moral implications, but that it isn't used often in the New Testament because it doesn't express the full intent of the concepts Jesus taught.

So, while God DOES want us to live holy lives (in today's definition), it seems to me that Peter is really telling us that we are to have a relationship with God that is so strong it cannot be broken. And, by being that close to God, we will be more able to focus on His desires and to be self-controlled, obedient.

What will you do today to improve your relationship with God?