Be Holy for I Am HolyEGP Blog post from November 5, 2012

God keeps reminding me of His holiness. His sovereignty says, “I can do whatever I want,” but His holiness says, “whatever I do is the right thing, regardless of whether or not you agree.”

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NASB)

^[13] Therefore, prepare° your minds for action, keep° sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to° be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ^[14] As obedient° children, do not be° conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ^[15] but like° the Holy One who called you, be° holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ^[16] because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13a Lit gird the loins of your mind
1 Peter 1:13b Lit be sober
1 Peter 1:13c Or which is announced
1 Peter 1:14a Lit children of obedience
1 Peter 1:14b Or conform yourselves
1 Peter 1:15a Lit according to
1 Peter 1:15b Or become

Many people have enough trouble comprehending being called “saints”, but here we’re called to be “holy”? Interestingly enough, the word translated “saints” when referring to believers is the same Greek word translated as “holy”.

This is not to say that we are to be holy and without sin of our own accord, but while before we were conformed to our own desires, the Father calls us to be transformed to His holiness “by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood,” so that, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”