Holiness Unto the Lord (1 Peter 1:13-16)

1 Peter 1:13-16

13 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. 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.”

Intro.

I want to begin today with a little history lesson. I know, I know, but bear with me.

Part of Methodism’s growth was the eventual addition of field preaching, which was considered rather “vile” by the elite members of society and by Wesley’s own Anglican church. Even Wesley had hesitations but after seeing how powerful it was for George Whitefield, Wesley decided it was time to be more vile. He writes: (33 and 34)

Eventually, the early American Methodist Camp Meetings took on a similar tone. (15, 16, 22)

Frances Trollope writes; “I had heard it said that being at a camp meeting was like standing at the gates of heaven and seeing it opened before you”

Francis Asbury encouraged Methodist Camp Meetings because they [quote] “have never been tried without success...this is field fighting, this is fishing with a large net”.

Henry Boehm reported a camp meeting in the Dover circuit n 1806 that accounted for 1,100 conversions. At another camp meeting the next month, he reported an additional 1,320 conversions. (Watson, 155).

What was happening at these field preaching's and camp meetings? A true pursuit of Holiness.

Wesley Recap

I want to take you all through a few different layers of Wesleyan theology for a minute. Wesley believed that those who did not recognize that they needed saving were asleep. He believed those who knew they were sinners and helpless to save themselves were awakened. He believed those who truly believed that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and who were willing to receive that salvation through sheer faith in Christ, they were Justified. And Wesley believed that those who were justified would be sanctified (made holy) in that moment but would then continue to work out their salvation through the means of grace as they became more and more holy.

The Means of Grace are the ordinary, outward ways God conveys divine grace, which can be preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace. They include prayer, scripture, the Lords Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and Wesley’s class meetings and love feasts.

Why does this mater?

We are called to be holy as the Lord is holy. This was the whole point of the Methodist movement and that is what Peter is calling us to in this passage. Those early camp meetings were spaces where lives were transformed as people found themselves called into a level of holy living that they did not realize they needed. When we participate in the means of grace on a regular basis, we move into that holiness.

Our scripture passages says; “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. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance”

Wesley understood this well. Wesley was focused not on the ways of the world but on the hope and grace of Christ. We are not talking hope in the same way a child hopes for a new puppy, knowing they probably won’t get one. We are talking Hope that is expectant, hope that truly believes that what is being hoped for will be received, hope rooted in faithful promise. When we set our hope on the promise of Christ’s return and the glorifying race we will receive, it causes us to re-prioritize our lives towards holiness. Wesley understood something about our nature, that whatever is in the mind will manifest itself in the affections and from there determine human behavior. That is why Peter warns us not to conform to the evil desires we had when we lived in ignorance. Those evil things will destroy our hope because they will corrupt our minds.

Evil? Do we have evil desires still? Well, that depends on how we define evil. But I think it is safe to say that any selfish desire we have can be evil. When we put ourselves first, we fail to live holy lives. I think this is the biggest issue in our churches today. We spend so much time “being kind” that we forget that we are called to be holy. Listen to this excerpt from Wesley’s Sermon “Scriptural Christianity”, preached at Oxford, Wesley says...(1).

Did any of that sting? Did anyone feel a stab of conviction in that passage? We are called to holiness and yet we settle for kindness. We are called to holiness and yet we settle for basic Christian practices. We are called to holiness and yet we settle for religious motions. We need to ask ourselves, are we trifling with God? Are we following Jesus or are we just practicing religion?

James 2:18 says “show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my deeds”. John Wesley began the whole Methodist movement to move away from dead religion and into a true pursuit of holiness! Being saved is only one step, it is not the end goal.

The end goal is holiness unto the Lord, the end goal is entire sanctification!

If we want to be more and more sanctified, more and more holy, then we need to be wholly invested in our spiritual disciplines but also wholly invested in following Jesus. Wesley’s holy clubs included works of mercy and works of piety. Works of Mercy included: Ministry to prisoners, Teaching orphans, Providing food, clothes, etc. to poor widows and children. His Holy Club Works of Piety included; Reading works of divinity, Prayer, Bible Study, Receiving Lord’s Supper, Diary keeping, and Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays”. These deeds were not just deeds for Wesley, they were practices that helped him and his friends to be more and more like Jesus, more and more holy. When Peter says: “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.”” He is calling Christians into a life of holiness, a life obedient to and modeled after the life of Christ.

Landing

As I prepare to close, I want to share a little about the earliest Methodist Camp Meetings. (Share about manifestations of the Spirit). Methodism is what it is in American today because of the camp meeting. Camp meetings were saving grounds, where people came before the Lord and truly experienced the presence of His Spirit. I want to read to you one more excerpt from John Wesley. In an Essay called “Thoughts Upon Methodism”, written much later in his life, Wesley addresses the question of whether he believes Methodism will continue and he says ...(2).

Do we have the from of religion without the power of it? If the Spirit were to manifest here as He did in the original camp meetings, would we receive him or would we doubt the manifestation all together? Are you willing to fall on your knees in tears of joy, or tears of desperation, or in the anguish of deep repentance before all of these our fellow brothers and sisters? Or Have we fallen so far from our Wesleyan roots that the idea of desperately pursuing holiness seems indignant?

So I ask you as we close today, consider where you are. Are you awakened, needing to come to that place of surrender whereby you finally accept that you cannot do it for yourself? If that’s you, own it. Get real with God and ask him into your heart! Be saved!

Are you justified, already saved and in his loving arms and yet standing still and stagnating in your sanctification process? Failing to become more and more holy? If so, then get real with God this morning and come before him in repentance and submission.

As we close this time together I invite you to come to the altar. Kneel before the Lord God Almighty and ask him to reveal the true state of your soul. If you need salvation, ask him in and receive it. It is a free gift! If you need spiritual renewal, to shake off the cobwebs and get back to the pursuit of holiness, pray and ask God to renew your heart and lead the way. Come, the altar is open, let us take some time to pray together for holiness unto the Lord.