Sermon Tone Analysis

Our text this morning is from 1 Peter 1:13-16.

I have chosen this text, instead of Isaiah 6 because of the title of our conference “On Holiness.”

I think 1 Peter 1 verses 15 and 16 perfectly depicts and outlines our theme “The Pursuit of Holiness.”.

Isaiah 6 will still be a vital part of this sermon titled “The Holiness of God.”

I will be reading from ESV. 1 Peter 1:13-16.

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

At the outset, we should ask this question: “Is there a difference between righteousness and holiness?”

There is a slight difference.

Righteousness is the condition of being proven or declared morally excellent, while holiness is the condition of being consecrated or dedicated to moral excellence.

Verse 13, you see the word therefore.

What is the therefore for?

It means that because of the future inheritance that is promised to us as followers of Christ, such incentive should motivate us to holiness.

To do so:

1.

We should prepare or gird our minds for actions to focus on the future grace of God (cf.

Ephesians 6:14).

2. To be sober is to have self-control and clarity of mind and moral decisiveness.

3.

And to hope fully on Jesus’ 2nd coming.

Verse 14, as obedient children, we should not be conformed to the world but rather live as transformed people of God, because we already have the knowledge of God.

Verse 15 starts with a but, and we know exactly what this means.

It means a contrast from the negative attitudes that we should be doing as followers of the Lord.

Peter summarizes the whole sanctification process by admonishing us to live holy lives, or separated from the world.

Verse 16 is just a reiteration of the admonition.

Repetition is a popular form of writing to emphasize an important thing or subject.

I think if we are paying attention to what the Word of God is telling us here in this passage, that it is not an obscure passage, that we would really pursue holiness as christians.For after all, true-born-again christians are saints.

And saints literally means “holy ones.”

Though it is always easier said than done that we are all work-in-progress.

The phrase “because God is holy that He requires every believers of Him to be holy” is the point of this passage, which is also one of the theological principle of this epistle.

A theological principle is a principle or truth that is true in both the OT and the NT and that it guides believers of all times on how to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to the LORD.

In this first epistle of Peter, we know that Peter wrote this to encourage christian believers who were scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, to endure persecution.

And one best way to endure persecution is to pursue holiness.

[This passage robustly admonishes or urges us believers and followers of the LORD Jesus to pursue holiness as our penultimate goal.

For our chief end “is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” and to pursue holiness is one best way to glorify God in our lives.]

From verse 15, we can deduced two main points.

The Holiness of God, and

The Holiness of Man

We will give more emphasis on the first point because it is the assignment given to me, and beside the fact that it is the highest point of the text.

In fact, our holiness is a result [or by-product] of having a sound understanding and knowledge of the holiness of God.

Therefore, if we truly understand God’s holiness, that we will be able to have a genuine “pursuit of holiness” in our own lives.

Though, I have to tell you of a caveat, that the threefold holiness of God, the only attribute of God that is repeated thrice, cannot be explained in just 40-45 minutes of study, teaching, or preaching.

And so, we might only be scratching through the surface.

Thus, our goal for the next 40 minutes or so is to have a deeper understanding of the holiness of God.

And after, may every believer here today pursue holiness like never before.

But before we continue, let us pray one more time.

In Christian theology, the word holy has two meanings.

The first meaning will be our first point and the second meaning of the word will be our second point.

1.

The holiness of God

The holiness of God refers to the unparalleled majesty of His incomparable being and His blameless, faultless, unblemished moral purity (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).

It is God’s perfection or in layman’s term “no sin” (not falling short or not missing the mark, sa Tagalog hindi kulang) and “no transgression” (not going beyond the mark or line, sa Tagalog hindi sobra).

(Hindi kulang at hindi rin sobra, kung sa exam 100% palagi, meron ka bang kilalang ganyan sa tanang ng buhay mo, na palaging perfect sa exam?

Sigurado akong walang ganyan na tao.

Kahit pa si Einstein.)

Simply, the holiness of God means that God is untouched and unstained by sin and evil.

God is [holy for He is] absolutely pure and perfect.

I have several passages and verses that showcase God’s incomparable being and perfection.

In these verses we will see God’s nature or essence is holiness.

1. Isaiah 49:7 (NASB95)

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One,

To the despised One,

To the One abhorred by the nation,

To the Servant of rulers,

“Kings will see and arise,

Princes will also bow down,

Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

-God is the only One that is truly holy.

There is none like Him.

2. Exodus 15:11 (NASB95)

“Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You, majestic in holiness,

Awesome in praises, working wonders?

- most of the time if we were please by some people because of some good things or performance they have done, we comment like “you are awesome.”

But in reality, there is only One (capital O) who is truly awesome because God is the only One who is perfect in all that He does and whose motive is all pure.

3. Leviticus 21:8 (NASB95)

‘You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy.

-because God is holy, that he is the only one that can truly sanctifies.

I believe that the sanctification mentioned here by Moses is the whole sanctification process - meaning from justification to progressive sanctificaiton to glorification.

God does it all .

Ezekiel 39:7 (NASB95)

“My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore.

And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.

Psalm 99:9 (NASB95)

Exalt the Lord our God

And worship at His holy hill,

For holy is the Lord our God.

6. Revelation 4:8 (NASB95)

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

-Here is the only place in the NT that this superlative attibute of holiness of God is mentioned.

And the other one is Isaiah 6.

7. Isaiah 6:1–7 (NASB95)

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

The whole earth is full of His glory.”

And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

Then I said,

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;