I Peter 1:15 – 16 says, “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.”

Are you holy? What does that even mean? If we have been commanded by God to be holy, should we not consider what this means and how it is attained? There are many different teachings about holiness, but what matters most is not the words of men but rather the Word of God.

If the Lord has commanded us to be holy as He is holy, then we must consider this of great importance. The command of our King should be considered non-negotiable. As Peter is writing to the believers who have been scattered due to persecution, he reminds them to be holy in all manner of conversation [behavior].

The word “holy” simply means sacred, saintly, or dedicated. The believers are to behave in a sacred manner. They are to behave in a manner that indicates they are dedicated or separated to the Lord.

The believer’s holiness is not of himself. The Word of God says that our holy God has called us. It is He that provides the holiness because it flows from WHO HE ALREADY IS. God is perfectly holy, and He has held back nothing in His work to make us holy.

Believers are accepted into the beloved by Jesus Christ. We are made holy by God in Christ. The problem is that antinomians accept this and stop here, but Biblical principle must meet practical living!

1. Holiness begins with who we are in Jesus Christ. We must be born again! Holiness flows from God to man, and perfection and holiness is expressly seen in Jesus Christ.

2. Being holy in all manner of conversation flows out of the surrendered believer’s life. Remember that I Peter 1:15 – 16 is a command. For us to be holy in living, we must be yielded to God and His Word.

3. A continual reading of I Peter will reveal that there are things that must be abstained from and put off.

Believers should not resemble the fashion of this world. We must NOT seek holiness. We are to seek God and surrender to Him. As we do this, we become as He is. Though we are made holy in Christ in the inner man, our conversation is made holy through obedience.