OUR FATHER'S GENETICS

1 Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”    

             When we were born spiritually we were adopted into God’s family.  We became his children.  As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  We were not allowed to bring all our old things into the home of our new Heavenly Father.  All the stuff from our old lives had to be left outside!  But those old things want to cling to us and we are tempted to sneak out to play with them and try to bring them inside!  Instead, if we desire to be obedient children we must leave all those things outside along with our old lifestyles!  We can no longer live our lives according to the old pattern of living which was ours before we received grace.  Peter gives this command because he knows those evil desires are still alive in Christian people.  We are still tempted by those things.  However, the Holy Spirit has broken their control over us and he has empowered us to have victory over them and leave them behind!  If listen to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit then we will be able to deny the temptations of our old lives.  But if we are lax and lazy, careless and unprepared, and worldly in our thinking we will be pressed into our old way of life and be defeated!

            Children have the natural tendency to imitate their parents.  Often, sons want to be like their fathers because they admire them.  Peter says, “Your Father who gave you birth is holy so be like him!  Carry on the family characteristics in your life!  You have a family name to uphold!  Your Father expects you to do everything you can to be like him!”  If we are the children of God then we have our Father’s spiritual DNA.  He has given us his Spirit and we are to live according to the Spirit.  “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  The Old Testament proof text Peter uses is a powerful reminder that it was God’s intention from the beginning to make a holy people for himself!  It was his plan to take spiritually dead, fallen sinners, and breathe spiritual life into them and shape them into his own holy image.  Holiness is not optional for the children of God!  It is not just a good idea or a suggestion!  God is going to work holiness into our lives and Peter calls us to be obedient children! 

 

         How are we supposed to do this?  How do we say “no” to our old patterns of life?  "Prepare your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).  We must gird our minds for action!  Be sober-minded!  We should fill our minds with the hope of God’s grace!