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FAQ # 60

QUESTION  60 :  Didn’t Peter command us to be Holy (1 Pet 1:15-16, 4:3); how then are we holy by being born again? Doesn’t his command suggest us doing something or having something?

The first thing that must be established today, is that “righteousness [holiness] is not earned but received;” only through Jesus Christ. Thank God that through him all born again believers are holy (Heb 10:14).

How is it then Peter commands us to be holy, which can be interpreted as doing something to be holy. The text reads;

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:15-16).

The Old Testament text that Peter quoted from was Leviticus 11:44 and it’s key in this explanation. The entire eleventh chapter of Leviticus speaks specifically of what meats were to be eaten and not to be eaten. Moses and Aaron received from God a commandment for the children of Israel concerning holiness and the eating of meats. In other words, under those commandments they were certain meats that would cause an Israelite to be unholy if they eat it.

All of Leviticus 11 elaborated on holiness as it pertains to the area of the mouth, in terms of what went in it. This holiness that Peter speaks of was also concentrated to the mouth, in terms of what went out.

Peter himself said, “be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Pet 1:15). In other words, the epistle was concentrated on being self-restrained with the mouth.

To also set the outline of the theme of this epistle, in chapter 1 he emphasized that we are redeemed from “vain conversation” (1 Pet 1:18). So then, Peter, apostle of God, commanded us to be holy in our conversation or with our “tongues.”

Why?

The righteous are judged for their words; “so speak ye [profession], and so do [life] as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12). Being judged by the law of liberty is not condemnation of hell or heaven, but rather this is a believer’s judgment of blessings while on earth; blessing received or can be received. James earlier explained this to us,


“let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed
. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain” (James 1:19-26).

What had happen to cause this “un-holiness” in 1 Peter 1:15-16 was that Peter was addressing a problem of verbal fighting (retaliation) on the part of the saints, because they were often verbally rejected for their profession of Christian faith.

Peter’s duty was to encourage, strengthen and instruct them in this matter. In chapter 1 and 2 he assures them of who they are in God; redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and spot. He went further to say, “ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (2:9).

Then he comforted them, “whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works glorify God” (2:12).

He continued to console them to be at peace when verbally attacked, for this is pleasing, “when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God” (1 Peter 2:20).

He then gave a great example of our savior under verbal persecution; “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threaten not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (2:30).

In essence, they are to do the same thing in the same situation rather than retaliate verbally and show fruits of ungodliness after such a stand for holiness that got them in this situation in the first place.

In chapter 3, he manages to internalize the issue within the church. He commanded husbands and wives to be in subjection to one another without wars of word: “not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing” (3:9).

Before ending chapter 3 he slithers back out to the general issue of verbally retaliating to insults caused by being a Christian. In concealment he said, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake happy are ye: and be not afraid…whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doer, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Pet 3:14-17); evil doing as in verbally retaliating or cursing. He again couldn’t resist to insert an example of Christ, “for Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust” (3:18).

Even Chapter 4 begins on Christ, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind” (4:1) 

Peter in the entire book of 1 Peter was telling this church to refuse from retaliating verbally because it’s not becoming of a Christian, nor is it good for the reputation of holiness amongst us Christians; and further more, it sets a drawback in character development.

In verse 4 of Chapter 4, Peter taught them that as a result of becoming a Christian they would suffer being ‘bad mouthed’; especially being baptized with the Holy Ghost which made them live differently from their former friends, “wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.”

In verse 12 he assures them that their “fiery trials” are not “strange” things, but rather all believers experience it. In other words, count it all joy and don’t retaliate in words, this only hinders the gospel and brings no glory to Christ.

He then closed off this epistle in chapter 5 by noting that a characteristic that must be develop in order to not retaliate against insults is to be “clothed with humility.”

Not to worry, after one has been born-again it will soon develop, especially if one allows the Holy Spirit to work on them, unhindered; for “the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever” (Isa 32:17). In other words, upon maturity in Christ it will bring about peace and quietness because one is well assured of the end of their faith, so one cannot be move by nothing on earth or heaven.

That’s what Peter was teaching in the book of 1 Peter. Keep your mouths and reframe from verbally retaliating to insults.

‘Keeping one’s mouth’ is being holy or ‘whole to one’s word;’ “so speak ye, and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12).

If you’re under this yoke, try not to retaliate at all, so “that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed” (1Tit 6:1); because such behavior can “stand in the way of sinners” (Ps 1). This was the essence of  the book of 1 Peter.

Peter knew that all born again believers are forever holy before God being hid in Christ (Rom 8:1). But he also knew that we are still in the flesh and being verbally abused, especially as a babe, can cause any believer to ‘loose his cool’ and at least verbally retaliate. He knew as well that this is just the devil trying to defame the integrity of Christendom. Therefore, he sternly commands them to “be ye holy.”

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