Be Ye Holy, for I am Holy

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.
1 Peter 1:13-16

1 Peter 1:13-16 is one sentence including a command and then the reason for the command (Be Ye Holy; for I am Holy). What does it mean to be Holy?

Verse 13 tells us to gird up the loins of our mind. That is not a common phrase to our day. Gird up the loins means prepare; prepare for the journey you are about to take. The Christian walk is a journey; just as you would prepare for a long trip, so you should prepare for your Christian journey in this life.

In preparing for this journey, we need to be sober and hope to the end. In other words, the Christian journey is a serious matter; don't take it lightly! By the grace of Christ, which was given to you upon your salvation, never give up. That sounds easy on paper, but what a struggle we Christians have in the ups and downs of this life here on earth. Remember to continually cry out to Christ for help; He is faithful and will always come to your aid.

Peter acknowledges here, too, the difficulty we Christians have in entangling ourselves in the world. New life in Christ brings new goals and ideals; desire to live a holy life before God becomes our new purpose in life. Just as obedience is difficult for children, so we, too, have difficulty displaying obedience to Christ. Again and again we find ourselves asking for forgiveness and help to overcome the sins that so easily beset us. We are commanded in verse 15, to be holy in all our conversation, meaning in every area of our life (thoughts, words, and deeds).

This commandment is not unique to the New Testament; as a matter of fact, verse 16 is a quote from two Old Testament passages:

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground.
Leviticus 11:44

"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.'"
Leviticus 19:2

Be Ye Holy; for I am Holy. That's a tall order! Pray today for strength and wisdom to be obedient to Christ in every area of your life.