“13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Peter 1:13-16).

     We have two abnormal extremes in present-day Christianity regarding holiness. One idea is that Moralism is somehow an aid or a pathway to salvation. Some people believe, if they will keep the Ten Commandments, God will favor them. Most sacramental and liturgical forms of Christianity hold to varying degrees of this. This idea is really just about varying degrees of ancient Asceticism. Asceticism is the false belief that the ascetic life releases the soul from bondage to the body and permits union with the divine. Asceticism is the doctrine that a person can attain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing self-denial, self-mortification, and the like. The ultimate form of Asceticism is Monasticism.

     Another false notion about holiness is what is known as the Wesleyan doctrine of the Second Blessing or Keswekianism (Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodism), which came to be known as the Holiness Movement. Second Blessing theology is a distortion of the doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit that believes that the certain believers receive this special work of the Holy Spirit upon their lives subsequent to their salvation. Those holding to the doctrine of the Second Blessing do not believe the baptism with the Holy Spirit is universal to all believers or that it is synchronous with salvation. Originally, this subsequent work of the Holy Spirit in certain individuals was supposed to result in “perfection” (interpreted to mean sinlessness). In the late 19th century, this doctrine of the Second Blessing would develop into Pentecostalism, where the Second Blessing (Baptism with the Holy Spirit) would be manifested by the speaking in “tongues” or in the gift of healing. This would later digress into the ecumenical Charismatic Movement, which did not even require a “born again” experience prior to receiving this gift of tongues.

     These misrepresentations of the teaching of the Word of God regarding holiness are serious distortions of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology) and the resulting doctrine of grace (the supernatural enabling of the believer by the Holy Spirit to live the Christ-life). The use of the words holy and spiritual are almost synonymous in the Scriptures. A distinction needs to be made; being holy is the by-product of being spiritual, not vice versus. A spiritual person is a person who has yielded his life to the enabling and indwelling Holy Spirit. One of the arenas that the Holy Spirit enables the believer in is that of holiness. Holiness is defined as being separate from worldly pleasures (not all things that are a pleasure are sin) and separated unto doing the Lord’s business (“work of the ministry”). The Bible tells us that if we truly love the Lord, we will be motivated to be holy and working at being holy so will not be “grievous.”

“1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:1-3).

     The word “grievous” in I John 5:3 is from the Greek word barus (bar-ooce'). In refers to something that is heavy in weight. If we really believe in the Lord and love Him the way we should, keeping His commandments and loving one another will not be a burdensome task. Being holy in our life styles and ministry will not be viewed as a heavy burden to bear because it will be viewed as a pursuit after the heart of the One we love and want to please.

     This is the deciding factor in holiness. If we love the Lord, working to be holy will not be a big burden to us. However, if we love ourselves more than we love the Lord, working to be holy will always be a big burden to us. The bigness of that burden will increase directly proportionate to the degree we put our wants and ambitions before God’s commandments. This seems to me to be the central reason why so many professing Christians falter and fail. Most Christians are just not willing to detach themselves from the things of this world in order to attach themselves to the “Vine” and “abide” in Christ (John 15:4-8).

     The main word for “holy” in the O. T. is the Hebrew word qodesh (ko'-desh). It is derived from a root word meaning to cut or separate. The fundamental idea of the word “holy” regards position. A person who is “holy” has been separated (cut away) from the world (the fallen family of Adam) and separated unto God (the New Creation in Christ). Therefore, this new position affords the opportunity for a new relationship. The medium of that relationship must be in holiness (communicated by the metaphors of walking “in truth” or the “light”).

“5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:5-7).

“1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father” (II John 1:1-4).

“3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (III John 1:3-4).

     In this same context, God is holy. Therefore, He must separate Himself from sin. Yet He is also a God of love. That fact motivates Him to separate the sin from the sinner. In doing so, God opens the door for the restoration to fellowship with Him through the judicial satisfaction of His death sentence in the payment of the death sentence upon sin (propitiation) by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and the resulting forgiveness of sin provided to the believing sinner.

     In doing so, the believing sinner is justified by faith. That means that God-kind righteousness is imputed to the account of person who obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ and invites Him to be Savior. In that spiritual reality, the believing sinner positionally stands before God “in Christ” and in Christ’s righteousness. God views the believing sinner “in Christ” as sinless and righteous because He sees the saved sinner “in Christ.” That is our POSITION “in Christ.”

     However, when God commands the believer in I Peter 1:15, “but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation,” He is talking about the PRACTICE of our lives. This is not about our positional holiness “in Christ.” This is about our practical holiness “in the world.” This practical holiness is a defining line of our love for God. It is also a dividing line between the reality of a genuine, life changing, transforming conversion and a mere intellectual faith.

“15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:15-17).

     The word “doeth” in I John 2:17 is from the Greek word poieo (poy-eh'-o). It means to do or to produce. To do “the will of God” is to produce the will of God in your life. The word “doeth” is in the Participle Mood. That means it refers to a regular and habitual practice. The believer who is truly and genuinely “born again” will regularly and habitually be doing the will of God.

     Now remember, the epistle of I John was written to provide assurance of salvation. It is not that doing “the will of God” is going to save anyone. This is talking about evidence that regeneration has taken place. This reveals to the professing Christian certain specific, evident realities that will be present in his life if he has truly been “born again.” If those specific, evident realities are not apparent, the professing Christian needs to re-examine his salvation experience.

“14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (I John 3:14-24).

     I Peter 1:13-15 reveals that our heavenly Father has two central expectations of His “children.” First, they are to be “obedient children.” Second, they are to become like Him “in all manner of conversation.” The defining factor in being like Him is the word “holy.” In order to produce this holiness in our lives (“the will of God” is for all believer to “be holy”), I Peter 1:13 tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind.” Because all people are sinners by nature, there is a natural propensity for self-satisfaction. The carnal Christian’s life is dominated by his desire for self-satisfaction. The carnal Christian uses up (wastes) the moments of his life in pursuit of whatever will satisfy his desires.

     The word “wherefore” of I Peter 1:13 refers to the “salvation” of verses 9 and 10. There is always an ethical responsibility that comes with doctrinal truth. Salvation is much, much more than just a fire escape. When a person gets saved, he becomes a child of God. That child should begin to bear the image of God in his life as he grows spiritually. Salvation is completely a free gift of God’s grace. Holiness becomes a matter of self-discipline enabled by God’s grace. It is work.

     In the ancient Middle East, men wore long robes. When they were going to do physical labor, they would “gird up” those robes. The metaphor is for the believer to prepare his mind for the labor necessary to produce holiness in his life. If the robes were not girded up, they would interfere and hinder the work. So it is with the mind. The word “mind” is from the Greek word dianoia (dee-an'-oy-ah). It refers to a way of thinking and feeling. The way a person thinks and feels will get in the way of the work of being holy until the carnal way of thinking is replaced. If a person really means business about change in his life, he will begin to confront his old way of thinking with the will of God revealed in the Word of God.

     For much of professing Christianity (especially New Evangelicalism), God’s blessings upon an individuals life is dependant upon positional sanctification. This is partly true. This is the first door to God’s blessings. The second door of entrance is practical sanctification. We have a faction within professing Christianity that promotes the idea that God gives extended liberty to those “under grace.” They take the use of the term “under grace” totally out of the Scriptural context in which it lies.

“12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:12-18).

     The issue of being “under grace” as opposed to being “under the law” is the difference between the external operation of the Spirit (“under the law”) and the internal operation of the Spirit (“under grace”). Under the Law, believing sinners were “the servants of sin” because they did not have power over the inward lusts of their hearts. They could only deal with sin externally. They did not have the power to deal with it inwardly. “Under grace” (the new dispensation of grace in the enabling power of the indwelling Spirit) the believing sinner is enabled to obey “from the heart.”

     The term “under grace” does not decrease the believer’s responsibility in keeping the commandments of God (the “law”). In fact, the opposite is true. Being “under grace” increases the believer’s responsibility. The law was never intended to be merely applied to external acts. The law was intended to be applied to the motivations of our hearts and the thoughts of our minds. Sin happens in the heart and mind long before it ever becomes an outward act. In fact, a person may not commit an outward act of sin, but would still have sin in his heart or mind. God does not differentiate between an outward act of sin and the inward lust to sin.

“27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

     When the believer is willing to “gird up the loins of” his “mind” and yield himself to the indwelling Holy Spirit, he begins to release the power of the Holy Spirit through his life, which will produce holiness, and Christ-likeness.

     When the Word of God refers to believers as “children” (I Peter 1:14), the reference is to the offspring of God by regeneration. If a person believes in the God of the Bible, that belief necessitates a transformation of the practices of life. The true believer’s life will not just continue along the same old lines of thought and actions (“fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance,” I Peter 1:14).

     The words “as obedient children” should better be rendered “as children of obedience.” The idea is that the believer’s salvation and regeneration were born out of obedience. The believer’s new beginning in Christ began by obeying the gospel and placing absolute faith in the finished work of Christ after repenting of sin and “dead works.” The next logical step in the life of a newly “born again” person is continued obedience to the commands of our new heavenly Father. The moment salvation is accomplished spiritual growth should begin.

     Salvation should be accompanied by a reversal in the things that motivate us. The continual pursuit of senseless indulgences for the purpose of selfish satisfaction should be replaced with the pursuit of God’s will and purposes. His will and purposes should become life consuming. The believer’s new model will become God Himself as revealed through the Word of God. Once that new model is accepted and owned by a believer, he will give himself completely to the replication of that model in his own life. That new model has one defining word inscribed upon it. The word is HOLY!!

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (I Peter 1:15).