Newsletter/Article Index :   Life in Christ

Date Posted	October 11, 2007
Article Title	Be Holy and Lay Aside All Evil
Posted By	Greg Richardson
Article Options	[e-Mail this Article]     [Print this Article]
Be Holy and Lay Aside All Evil Peter 1:3-16 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Our scripture starts with “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us.” “Begotten us” means that we are now included in the direct family line of God. We are not separate and those who have not accepted Christ as savior, but we are his children, not by our own works or our own actions, or our own thoughts, but by the blood of Jesus Christ. This is an amazing thought that God has made us equal to Him by the work of Jesus. But we should not be filled with pride over this revelation for Blood of the Lamb of God has saved you, but we are the begotten of God. We are a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The scripture goes on in verse six, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. We are to rejoice in our sonship with God, but be aware that we will be grieved by various trials as we strive to be Holy we will go through trials. Some of our trials will be financial, some will be disease, some will be friends and neighbors doing wrong to us, but we are called to the moral high Holy ground of God the Father. We are to forgive our as it says in 1 Corinthians 6:7b Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? This is kind of like making Holy Water. Do you know how to make Holy Water, by boiling the “heck” out of it. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” We are to live a holy life, we are to be Holy. This is not just an exercise but we are to work at living a righteous life. A nineteenth century industrial baron once told Mark Twain, "Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, "I will climb to the top of Mount Sinai, and read the Ten Commandments aloud." Mark Twain replied, "Why don't you stay home and keep them?" In 1 Peter 2:16-17 Five Rules for Holy Living 1. Venerate All things – Psalms 104 2. Esteem All Men – Acts 17:26 3. Love the Brotherhood – Malachi 3:16-17 4. Fear God – Proverbs 9:10 5. Honor the King – 1 Timothy 1:17 (1)The First Principle to Venerate all things explained in Psalm 104 is a litany of things that God created and controlled from the very beginning. Psalms 104:2-35 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth. He sends the springs into the valleys; They flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart. The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers. He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— This great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there. These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works. He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! The Psalmist is lifting up on high every part of God’s creation and by being respectful of the creation we start on the Journey to Holy Living. (2)Principle Two is to Esteem all men. Acts 17:26 (NKJV) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (3)Principle Three is to Love the Brotherhood. In Malachi 3:16-17 (NKJV) it says… Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” A man once went to see a prophet and said, "Prophet, why do you bother? You have been prophesying for over fifteen years, and still things are the same. Why do you keep going?" The prophet replied, "Don’t you know? I’m not prophesying to change the world, but to prevent the world from changing me" (4)Principle Four is to Fear God. In Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. This is a respectful fear, not living in a fear as if God was the 25,000 lb ape. And does everybody know where the 25,000 pound ape sleeps…Where ever he wants. (5)Principle Five is to Honor the King It says in Titus 3:2-5 (NKJV) Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. It is very important that we respect our rulers, but it is more important to respect the eternal King. In 1 Timothy 1:17 NKJV Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. We are called by God to Be Holy and Lay Aside All Evil…and we can do this only by the power of the Holy Spirit and by being diligent in our servant hood towards Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. AMEN
© 2007 Open Bible Church of Streator • 404 Powell St., Streator, Illinois 61364 • Phone: 815.672.1751 •    Streator Open Bible Church    info@streatoropenbible.org    webmaster@streatoropenbible.org