By : Brad Robertson
Note:
Be Holy For I Am Holy In Context (1 Peter 1:15-16)
So often, when I teach on grace, legalists pridefully ask me this question:
"Doesn't the Bible say that we should be holy for God is holy?"
I always respond "Yes, that is what the Bible says."
Then I ask them, "Do you know where this verse is in the Bible and what the context is?"
I have never had one of these legalists know the context of this verse.
They may know where this verse is in the Bible, but they never know the context.
This verse is found in 1 Peter 1:15-16.
"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.'"
The context of these verses is all about God's grace.
1 Peter 1:10-12 says:
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the GRACE that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the GRACE to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."
The context is grace!
The grace Peter refers to in 1 Peter chapter one is about the salvation spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament when the Spirit of Jesus in them told of his coming into the world as the Messiah, or King, to establish his kingdom of love, joy, peace, healing, and wholeness.
In this kingdom, the world will no longer live in chaos, being hurt by and hurting one another.
In this kingdom, there will be no more death, deformity, or disease.
There will be no hunger.
There will be no more terrorism or wars.
In this kingdom, the people of the world will live in love.
Peace will flow all over the world.
Peter writes that the prophets spoke of the sufferings of the Messiah, this coming King, before the glories of his kingdom would be realized.
The sufferings of the King refer to his death.
The prophets searched intently to know more about God's grace to come and when the King would usher in this kingdom of grace.
What we learn from the Old Testament prophets is a Messiah, a King, was coming into the world.
He would wear a crown as King, bringing peace all over the world.
He would bear a cross as Savior, bringing peace to the hearts of people.
The prophets, looking ahead at the grace to come, did not understand all that we do.
They knew the Messiah would die, according to Isaiah 53, and rise from the dead, according to Psalm 16:10.
But they did not understand, as we do, that his death would come through the cross.
Peter even says the angels long to look into "these things", meaning the grace of God coming into the world through the Messiah and flowing throughout the entire world.
Peter, in 1 Peter 1:3-5, delightfully celebrates this coming kingdom of grace and our eternal enjoyment of it.
In 6-9, he speaks of the difficulties we will have to go through on this earth before Jesus comes as King and establishes his kingdom.
Yet, he writes, these difficulties on earth will refine our faith, a faith that is of greater worth than gold.
Peter says we are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy as we await by faith this coming kingdom.
Peter, in joyful anticipation of this King who is coming to establish his kingdom of grace, writes in verse 13 for us to have sober minds, meaning minds that are not intoxicated with Satanic and worldly lies about how to live, but minds that think soundly and morally.
He writes for believers not to conform to the evil desires of the world, which they had before being told about the King of grace and his coming kingdom of grace, but to live holy lives, meaning a lives of moral purity and love in context, on earth as we await this coming King and kingdom.
So we see in 1 Peter 1:3-16 that the motivation for living a holy life comes from the inspiration of grace.
Self-righteous legalists, who are so afraid someone might use grace as a license to sin, never bother to teach about God's grace when telling others to be holy for God is holy.
It never occurs to them that grace is the inspiration for living a holy life.
Instead, taking verses out context, as exemplified by their constant prideful quotation of the verse "Be holy as I am holy", they seek to intimidate people by fear to live a holy life, rather than inspire them by grace.
Note:
Be Holy For I Am Holy In Context (1 Peter 1:15-16)
So often, when I teach on grace, legalists pridefully ask me this question:
"Doesn't the Bible say that we should be holy for God is holy?"
I always respond "Yes, that is what the Bible says."
Then I ask them, "Do you know where this verse is in the Bible and what the context is?"
I have never had one of these legalists know the context of this verse.
They may know where this verse is in the Bible, but they never know the context.
This verse is found in 1 Peter 1:15-16.
"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.'"
The context of these verses is all about God's grace.
1 Peter 1:10-12 says:
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the GRACE that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the GRACE to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."
The context is grace!
The grace Peter refers to in 1 Peter chapter one is about the salvation spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament when the Spirit of Jesus in them told of his coming into the world as the Messiah, or King, to establish his kingdom of love, joy, peace, healing, and wholeness.
In this kingdom, the world will no longer live in chaos, being hurt by and hurting one another.
In this kingdom, there will be no more death, deformity, or disease.
There will be no hunger.
There will be no more terrorism or wars.
In this kingdom, the people of the world will live in love.
Peace will flow all over the world.
Peter writes that the prophets spoke of the sufferings of the Messiah, this coming King, before the glories of his kingdom would be realized.
The sufferings of the King refer to his death.
The prophets searched intently to know more about God's grace to come and when the King would usher in this kingdom of grace.
What we learn from the Old Testament prophets is a Messiah, a King, was coming into the world.
He would wear a crown as King, bringing peace all over the world.
He would bear a cross as Savior, bringing peace to the hearts of people.
The prophets, looking ahead at the grace to come, did not understand all that we do.
They knew the Messiah would die, according to Isaiah 53, and rise from the dead, according to Psalm 16:10.
But they did not understand, as we do, that his death would come through the cross.
Peter even says the angels long to look into "these things", meaning the grace of God coming into the world through the Messiah and flowing throughout the entire world.
Peter, in 1 Peter 1:3-5, delightfully celebrates this coming kingdom of grace and our eternal enjoyment of it.
In 6-9, he speaks of the difficulties we will have to go through on this earth before Jesus comes as King and establishes his kingdom.
Yet, he writes, these difficulties on earth will refine our faith, a faith that is of greater worth than gold.
Peter says we are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy as we await by faith this coming kingdom.
Peter, in joyful anticipation of this King who is coming to establish his kingdom of grace, writes in verse 13 for us to have sober minds, meaning minds that are not intoxicated with Satanic and worldly lies about how to live, but minds that think soundly and morally.
He writes for believers not to conform to the evil desires of the world, which they had before being told about the King of grace and his coming kingdom of grace, but to live holy lives, meaning a lives of moral purity and love in context, on earth as we await this coming King and kingdom.
So we see in 1 Peter 1:3-16 that the motivation for living a holy life comes from the inspiration of grace.
Self-righteous legalists, who are so afraid someone might use grace as a license to sin, never bother to teach about God's grace when telling others to be holy for God is holy.
It never occurs to them that grace is the inspiration for living a holy life.
Instead, taking verses out context, as exemplified by their constant prideful quotation of the verse "Be holy as I am holy", they seek to intimidate people by fear to live a holy life, rather than inspire them by grace.
