Holy - 1 Peter 1:14-16

Holy

What is Holy? Who is Holy? What does Holy Mean?

Definition: dedicated or consecrated to God, hallowed, sanctified, devoted to the service of God, saintly, godly, ordained

From the germanic origin of whole, complete

Holy is to be different, set aside, called out, special. Most people see Holy as being perfect, sinless, blameless and complete. Theses are all true statements. So unattainable as humans as we strive for the perfect body, face, hair, family, job, house, car, etc. We work for unattainable goals. Here’s another one: 1 Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Peter is reminding us, actually commanding us to be Holy and Obedient children. Just because God who called us is Holy. That seems unreasonable, doesn’t it? Let’s look at this reference; Leviticus 11:44-45  For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

After listing all the unclean things they were to avoid God summarizes His feelings towards His people. Be Holy because I am Holy and again He says You are Holy because I am Holy.

So we have one section referencing another, that’s not enough, but it is because God said it. Now Jesus also states the same over His followers, which includes us. John 17:14-19 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth. and then John helps us out again in 1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

We are to be Holy, sanctified, complete, pure, consecrated people because Jesus, because God, because of the Holy Spirit. We don’t belong in the world, but we minister, we work, and we live here, but it’s not our home. Don’t get comfortable here. Be Holy, but be ready to leave because we don’t belong, the world doesn’t like truth and we are sanctified in the truth of Jesus. We are consecrated by God.

That makes us alive in Jesus and dead to the world. Living sacrifices and living stones as part of worship to God. We are sacrifices for God daily, it’s part of our services to God to sacrifice ourselves daily. To be available to God in whatever way possible. Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  puts it nicely as we present ourselves to God daily we are Acceptable and Holy sacrifices to God. And when we focus on God we will know what is pleasing and acceptable to God. God makes us Holy and Acceptable through Jesus and because God is Holy therefore making us Holy and Acceptable. Which means we are the Church, the Bride of Jesus. We are living stones that make up the Spiritual house of God. So we are part of God’s Temple, the building blocks that make it up. That is how Holy and Acceptable we are to God. Again we are Holy. Look at 1 Peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,  you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ., because of Jesus we are found to be Holy and Acceptable.

We are Holy to God. Holy beings that are not of this world, sanctified by Jesus, consecrated and set apart, called out to be a Holy priesthood. All because God gives us that gift. God makes us Holy. Jesus has sanctified us because we hope in Him and that brings us close to God. Just as grace is God’s inclination to bless us which means to come near. All that combined makes us the most awesome sacrifice living on God’s altar while we are at the same time part of God’s Temple. Stones that make up His building, where this altar stands, that’s where we are an ever present sweet smell to God.

We are the Holy, Acceptable, Pure people of God who represent His Temple on earth and bring Joy to God who desires us Jealously.

Grace - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Charis (Khar' ece) is the Greek for Grace.  Defined as divine influence on the heart and it's reflection in the life including gratitude.  Also benefit, favor, gift, joy, pleasure, thanks, and kindness.  It's also synonymous with mercy - being able to give without the merit of worth of the receiver.  The greek refers to the hebrew of /kana' grace - extension toward also meaning to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.

In the OT spoke of Grace but mostly it was the Grace that we were to know, future grace.  The grace being prepared for us.  Our Faith is sown in God's grace - a soil we don't deserve but God provides.  Just like our Faith is a gift from God but we must do something with it.  It is by God's grace that we receive anything.  Yet what do we do with what God provides is just as important.

Peter states where and how this grace came to be.  In 1 Peter 1:10-11 he says:  Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.  It was prophecy about grace that was directed about Jesus and his bringing the grace, but also about us being the receivers of grace.  The prophets were hearing God speak about us and what we were to receive (without our merit) and about Jesus being the one to provide us with the grace.

Zechariah prophesied about Jesus by God's word in Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn."  Jesus is that Spirit of grace and mercy that God poured out on the world.  Without Jesus arrival here we would have no grace.  Also there would be not fulfillment of prophecy and scripture.  We would continue to be lost in our sin and attempting redemption by our own sacrifices and penance.

Look at John 1:14, 16-17  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth........ 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   Jesus again the one bringing grace and truth.  Jesus is full of grace ans so out of His fullness we receive grace upon grace.  Grace because Jesus is grace and again because Jesus brings grace.  With this grace comes access.  Hebrews 4:14-16   Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.   Jesus is bringing His followers right to God's throne of grace and mercy.  Tearing down the barrier that separated us from God.  Giving us as Jesus's brothers and sisters an inheritance that is imperishable and access to the Father's throne room where we will find grace and mercy always.

So humility, being humble is a part of understanding grace and we need to be humble.  We are not to be proud as James 4:5-6 states.  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  We have access by being humble. So be humble because God is jealously want us for His own.  He doesn't want to share us with others.  Also Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  Humility makes us able to receive the grace of God better.  Which is the fulfillment of the Spirit of God that indwells in us all.

God's grace is our gift and we need to treat it as such.  Be humble in regards to it since we did not earn it and can't work for it.  We can grow our Faith and strengthen that muscle, but we need to remember that grace is God's unmerited gift to us.  So treat that gift very carefully and stay tuned to what being Holy is all about in the next post.  It will help you understand somethings better.  Also who you are in regards to God and His wonderful gifts to us as Born Again, Christians, Followers of Jesus.

References:  1 Peter 1:10-11, Zechariah 12:10, John 1:14,16,17, Hebrews 4:14-16, James 4:5-6, Romans 12:3

Salvation - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Salvation in the Greek is soteria it's reference in 196 different occurrences of the Bible.  Soteria translates to rescue, safety, deliver, health, salvation, save and saving.

So to continue from the previous post we can't see Faith, Salvation or Grace.  These words are concepts, nouns, products of God, things that we work with and work out within our limited minds and our limitless spirits.  Faith is us putting to practice and work out choice to follow and God equipping us to do that work for which we are called.  Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  It means following the will of God for our lives by following the Word of God so that we find calling and purpose.  If we follow God's Word we allow God to lead us and opportunities present themselves that God wants for us.

Now one of those is Salvation.  It is an opportunity provided by God. Salvation is freely given from God through Jesus.  From our choice to hold our Faith, our Trust in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

Here are some things to look at in regards to Salvation:

1 Peter 1:5 - It's guarded by our Faith and will be revealed in the last days.
1 Peter 1:4 - It's imperishable (guaranteed), undefiled (pure, can't spoil), and unfading (won't / can't wear out), untouchable (protected in heaven), long lasting (eternal)
1 Peter 1:9 - It flourishes as an outcome of Faith
Romans 6:22-23 - Is a result of God's Grace
1 Peter 1:10 and Luke 10:24 - Was foretold by the prophets
1 Peter 2:9 - Separates us from the world
Hebrews 5:9 - Jesus is our source of eternal salvation

The first reference of Salvation is Genesis 49:18, the last reference is Revelation 22:17.

All of that denotes that God provides the Salvation.  Jesus name also means to deliver, to rescue and salvation.  Just look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:9 to be specific.  And so He is salvation.  Jesus the perfect sacrifice makes us who Trust, Sons and Daughters, family without which we have no inheritance, but in verse 4 of 1 Peter 1 we do have that inheritance so we are family.  Psalms and the Old Testament when speaking of salvation say it's God's.  But for our our time, not then, but now.  It's intangible.  We will see it's result in the revelation at our final calling, when Jesus returns.

From start to finish the Bible focuses on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit from end to end.  Exodus 15:2 - God has become our salvation, this if from the Song of Moses.  Isaiah 12:2 - Putting our trust in God for our salvation.  Let me leave you with a few references more to look over.  Luke 1:76-77 - John the Baptist was sent to proclaim the coming of Salvation (Jesus)to the world.  Ephesians 6;17 - We wear the Helmet of Salvation - sign of who we belong to and a protection against death.  Titus 2:11-15 - Salvation is freely available to all.  1 Peter 2:1-2 - We grow into our salvation.

Salvation is freely available to all who will Trust in Jesus and put their Faith in what He did to abolish sin and death.  Accept it and Live it before it's too late.