Holy Children

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.”

I can tell when my daughter is really trying to be obedient. If we ask her to do something, she will do it and then say after “Good job” really loud. The reason why she knows it is good is because my wife and I reaffirm her that she is doing what we ask and let her know when she is not doing it. God has his way of doing the same thing with discipline and encouragement.

We start a new book today, 1 Peter. It was written by Peter the disciple of Jesus to the different churches mentioned in vs 1. The Christians at these churches were being persecuted but Peter reaffirms them in the grace of God in which they received through Jesus. Peter wanted the readers to be encouraged of what Christ has done for them despite their current conditions. In this particular passage that we are looking today, Peter wanted to remind them that they can be holy obedient children even when it is tough.

To be a holy child we need to know what holiness is. Holiness is what God is. It is his perfection and being without sin. God is set apart from anything else because he alone is God. When we are called to be Holy that means we are to be of the same mind of God. How does that happen?

We read in these verses that we are called to be holy by first knowing that the only way we can be holy is because of Jesus Christ (vs 13). Then Peter tells us we to be obedient to God. The way we are obedient to God is not by being like this world (vs 14). The word conformed is the same one used in Romans 12:2. We are to not be like this world. Our mindsets and values are to not be like this world but to be like God which is being holy. When we start viewing sin like God views sin and the cost of Christ’s death as righteousness than we start to have that mindset.

Have you ever noticed that when you are hanging out with someone for long periods of time, you start talking like them and acting like them? The same can be when we hang out with God. The more we desire to be obedient, the more we spend time with Jesus and reading the Word the more we start having the same mindset. We realize what sin is and not just in the world but even in our lives. When we spend time with the king, we start wanting to be more obedient to him because it is what is right.

We all need to be holy children but the only way we can is by what Jesus has done for us on Calvary. Then we need to be obedient to what God asks. Are you? My prayer is that we desire to be obedient children wanting to please God.