Be Ye Holy

Text: I Pet. 1: 13-17

Thesis:  To prove that a Christian must live a faithful life in order to be well pleasing in

              the eyes of his Father.

Introduction:

1.      Many people simply think that once one becomes a Christian, he can then live his life in any fashion that he so chooses.

2.      Martin Luther is said to have made the statement that one who is saved and then goes back to his sinful lifestyle is to be compared to a person who takes a bath only to put his dirty clothes on afterwards.

3.      Many today have a false idea of the grace of God; thus, they think that they have a license to sin.

a. Some will attempt to eliminate obedience of man’s part in order to access the grace of God.

b. Grace is not a license to sin (Rom. 6: 1-2).

4.      We will examine three points on how and why a Christian must live a holy life:

Body:

I.                   The cause for one to be holy (I Pet. 1: 15-17).

A.    We have been called by a Holy Father.

1.      The word holy is from the Greek word “akios,” and it means “set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively his.”  (Thayer, 7)

2.      God of course is set apart, uniquely different from all others.

3.      His children must be set apart and different from all others.

4.      Christians are to be set apart in this world.

B.     One will be judged by his works (I Pet. 1: 17).

1.      One will be judged by the way that he lives his life.

2.      God demands that it be a holy life.

3.      It is not left up to us to decide how we will live for Him.

4.   It can only be according to His way.

II.                The chance for apostasy (I Pet. 1: 14).

A.    There is the possibility that one can fall from grace, because he can fashion himself to his former lusts.

B.     This should cause one to see the great need for one’s continual growth as a Christian.

C.     Many times people will succumb to temptations that could have been overcome if they would have only grown as a Christian; thus enabling them to become stronger in their resistance of certain temptations.

D.    Therefore, we are to be obedient children.

1.      The term children of course brings to mind of God as our Father.

2.      We should long to make our Father happy, and this is done by being

obedient to Him.

III.             The conditions of living a holy life (I Pet. 1: 13).

A.    The word gird is derived from the Greek word “anazonnumi,”  and its meaning is from a habit of the Orientals who quickly gathered up their loose robes with a girdle when in a hurry or starting a journey.  (Robertson’s Word Pictures 6: 87).

1.  The loin is the part of the body where the girdle was worn.

2.      When one obeys the gospel he is then starting a new journey.

3.      One must gather up all improper thoughts, feelings, and activities of the mind and restraining them that they may not hinder one’s progress toward Heaven.  (Guy N. Woods, Com. On I Pet.-Jude)

4.      We must take control of our lives and our thoughts.

a.       Why do we allow our minds to be corrupted by the filth that we watch or the music to which we listen?

b.      We would not pay someone $30 dollars a month a come into our house and curse in our presence, but yet we essentiality do that by some of the television shows that we watch.

B.     The word sober is from the Greek word “nephontes,” and it means “to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.” (Thayer’s 425).

1.      We must next take control of our emotions.

2.      We must become a people of peace and patience.

C.     Once we take control of both our thoughts and emotions by bringing them into subjection to Christ, we then have a hope for the end result of our journey.

1.      Hope is both a desire and expectation.

2.      We both desire Heaven and we expect to obtain it, because Christ has promised it to anyone that will live for Him.

3.      This is not arrogance but rather an assurance in the Word of God.

D.    The life of the Christian does require work on man’s part in order to be well pleasing in the eyes of God, but God knows that this will not be an overnight process. 

1.      We must just try our best, and continue to grow as a Christian.

2.      We have a Father that wants us to make it.

Conclusion:

1.      God does not expect us to have sinless perfection, but he does demand that we strive to do that which is right.

2.      God has done everything to make it possible for one to get to Heaven, but He can’t make one obey.

3.      The choice is left up to you.  Will you live for Jesus?