FEB 19-23 | Discussion on Holiness

16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16 NKJV ends with a pretty tall order. Be as Holy as God, simply because He is holy.

But for context we have to look at two things, the KJV translation, and the Hebrew.

Be ye holy; for I am holy

KJV adds “Be ye,“ pronounced “Yee” not Ye like Kanye. It’s hard enough to be holy, it reads very plainly, kinda like when people talk to you about your problems and you tell ‘em to “pray.” Nothing wrong with that, but, most times people need something a little more practical, even if it’s found in the Bible.

It’s only when we look at the original Greek that it starts to make sense:

“Be ye holy,” translates as “to be formed, to become.”

Now we got something we can work with, the Bible isn’t made to discourage us with firm statements, but without context it’ll be a little upsetting. Be holy puts the pressure on us, being formed in our holiness puts the pressure on God.

We have to understand that God is for us, he’s not here to punish us, discourage us, he’s supportive of us, he wants to see us thrive and succeed. Becoming holy is an opportunity for us to step into the realm God lives in.

"… let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

Holiness is an opportunity to mirror God in what we do, say, how we react to bad news, even down to what we choose to eat.

• Take a chance to think about Holiness, is it something you strive to do?

• Is it easy to keep and maintain?

• If not, how can we provide an opportunity for God to mirror himself in our behavior?

• What are some examples of things we do that are keeping us from holiness?