1 Peter 1:15-16 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.”
Peter has described this salvation in the first part of the letter and then moves towards exhortation. Our holiness comes in response to the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. We cannot be holy outside of God’s work in our lives. God’s holiness is one of the primary character qualities of God described in the Bible. Holiness is defined by God. Our holiness is our response to God’s holiness and is resourced and empowered by being in relationship with God. The cause of our holiness is God’s own holiness. Our holiness necessitates the response of faith and obedience. We must trust ourselves to God and then put this trust to action by listening and obeying. Peter adds the difficult words “In all you do.” Holiness is not just for part of our lives or the things we want or like to do, but all parts. We should not be partially sanctified but entirely sanctified. When an area of our lives is found to be out of sync with God’s will, we must confess, repent, and give this part of our lives over to God. This is a growth process that may require new decisions every day as we face different situations and people.
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