I would imagine that whenever we encounter the Biblical command to “be holy,” a good many of us would immediately assume that this does not mean moral perfection.  After all, even Christians filled with God’s Spirit are incapable of offering to God a life of such pristine purity on this side of heaven.  However, while this is certainly the truth, there is more to the command to “be holy” than we might otherwise recognize.

In 1 Peter 1:14-16, the Apostle Peter cites the Old Testament book of Leviticus, applying it to his original audience of Christian believers: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  These words are as penetrating as they are ominous.  How can we “be holy” now?  And how can we ever hope to “be holy” in “all” our “conduct”? (v. 15).

In order to solve our dilemma, we will need to rethink the idea of holiness altogether. As we will see this coming Lord’s Day, Peter will give us lots of help in coming to terms with this very clear command of God, one that is as applicable to us today as it once was to the ancient Israelites.

Our study of ‘The Gracious Commands of the Gospel’ will continue this Sunday with a look at this passage from God’s Word.