Personal Holiness Amidst Perverted Worldliness, Part 1a

Turn with me in your Bibles, if you would, to 1st Peter chapter 1. 1st Peter chapter 1. And I want to read to you verses 13, 14, 15, and 16. The verses we're going to cover tonight are 15 and 16, but 13 and 14 sort of set the tone for us. Verse number 13 says, Therefore gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.

But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. That verse, you shall be holy, for I am holy, speaks volumes to us as believers in terms of our relationship to God and to the world. And I'm reminded of a book that John White wrote a number of years ago. It was entitled, Flirting with the World. And in the foreword, Howard Snyder wrote these words, and I quote, Worldliness is the greatest threat to the church today.

In other ages, the church has suffered from dead orthodoxy, live heresy, flight from the world, and other maladies. But the painful truth today is that the church is guilty of massive accommodation to the world, end quote. That is true. It's guilty of massive accommodation to the world. That seeker sensitive user friendly movement that has swept the country is a movement that's designed to appease man. It's a movement designed to gain an audience, to gather people together. And that's why they take surveys of the community to ask the unbeliever what it is they want to see in church and then govern their church on what the unbeliever wants to see.

And then we wonder why the church has lost its impact in society. I'm reminded of the words, I've read them to you before, but they bear looking at one more time as Charles Haddon Spurgeon would conclude his Sunday morning sermon on January 24th, 1861. He said these words, an unholy church, it is of no use to the world and of no esteem among men. Oh, it is an abomination, hell's laughter, heaven's abhorrence. And the larger the church, the more influential, the worst nuisance does it become when it becomes dead and unholy.

The worst evils, which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church. Now think about that. The worst evil that the world could ever face is an unholy church. Why is that? Because the world needs to see something that would reflect the glory and honor of Christ. If the church doesn't do that, then the world gets a poor picture of Jesus Christ, our Lord, through the lives of those people who claim to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It's not easy to live in the world and to maintain a holy walk.

The world is pressing against us. The world is doing all it can to lure us in to be just like them. And there's a constant battle we face every single day. Paul would say these words in Philippians chapter two, when he recorded in verse number 14 says, do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world. Paul points out just one aspect of how we make an impact in the world.

And that is that we do all things without ever grumbling or complaining, but we live a life in such a way that the perverse generation is able to see the light shining with great clarity. That's the way we are supposed to be. Notice he says in the midst of a perverse generation.

You know, we are in the world, but we are not to be of the world. It would be our Lord who would pray these words in John 17 to his men when he said in verse number 13, but now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them my word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world, I do not ask thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Two times Christ says, these men, these disciples of mine are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

We are just like Christ when it comes to living in this society. We are to be completely opposite of the world. And Christ says, as I'm not of the world, neither are they.

He doesn't play pray that we would be isolated from society, but that we would be insulated from the sin of society. I pray that you take them not out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one, that you keep them from the evil one, that you watch over them. Why? Because we are to appear as as lights in a world of darkness so people can see the truth and believe in the word of our God. And yet so often the church, the body of Christ, has blended in so well with the world that when the unbeliever comes into the church it's like going anywhere else because he's not confronted on a sin.

He's not measured against the holy standard. He's not cowled into account for the for the activities of his life. And the word of God is no longer preached and therefore God is not put on display. Back in 1955 it was A.W. Tozer who wrote these words. He says, For centuries the church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was, a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability.

For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great God entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers. So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God.

Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifth-rate producers peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency. And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it. Now if Mr. Tozer said that back in 1955 about the great God entertainment what would he say today if he were alive? Barely a man raises his voice against it. Why would you raise a voice against something that draws millions and millions of people?

It must be right if everybody is coming to it and if everybody is watching it. And yet the church in this day and age is having little or no impact on its society because it doesn't exemplify a holy life. And when the Lord God said, I want you to be holy as I am holy, in fact He said it eight times in the Bible, eight times. Now He only had to say it once for it to be something we need to adhere to. But He said it eight different times throughout the Scriptures because He wants us to get it. He wants us to understand it.

He wants us to live in light of who He is. And so Peter understanding that people going through severe persecution, going through supreme difficulties must still maintain their testimony, must still live a life of holiness. Having already addressed the fact that they are praising God amidst their problems He now wants them to understand how to have a personal holiness amidst perverted worldliness. How's that going to happen? So He gives them six incentives, six incentives that will help them understand how to live a holy life.

Six elements that will help each and every one of us understand how we live in the marketplace, how we are to live in our schools, and how we are to live in our neighborhoods, and how we are to live in whatever job we have, and whatever people we come in contact with. Six incentives that will hopefully motivate us to live for the glory and honor of God. But before He gives the means to holy living, He gives the mandate for holy living. And I want to cover that with you this evening. The mandate for holy living.

And that's in verses 15 and 16 of 1 Peter chapter 1. And there are three things I want you to see about the mandate for holy living. The first is the call, the second is the contrast, and the third is the command.

Peter says in verse number 15, like the Holy One who called you. We'll stop right there. We have been called with a holy calling. I don't know if you know that or not, but we are. In fact, you can look at the calling in three different ways.

Number one, you can look at your calling as a very high calling, you can look at it as a heavenly calling, and you can look at it as a holy calling because all three are true.

Paul would say over in Philippians chapter 3 verse number 14, that he would press on to the high call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Over in Hebrews chapter 3 verse number 1, the writer of Hebrews said this, therefore holy brethren partakers of a heavenly calling. And then of course over in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse number 9, Paul says this, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling. So our calling is high, it's heavenly, and it's holy. And over in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul would say these words to those in Corinth.

He said, Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sothenes, our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints or holy ones, by calling. We are called to be holy people. If we're going to be holy as God himself is holy, God calls us with a holy calling. And that call is to be holy as God himself is holy. So we need to understand the holiness of God, right? The Bible speaks of the holiness of God more than it speaks about the mighty power of God, more than the sovereignty of God and the grace of God and the love of God.

It speaks over and over again about the holiness of God. It speaks about the fact that Psalm 99 verses 1, verses 5 and verse 9, I believe it is, that our God is a holy God. And God wants us to understand that his holiness is another word for his separateness. That is, God is distinctly separate from creation and from corruption. To understand 1 Peter 1, 15 and 16, you must understand that God himself, if he calls you to be holy, you must understand he is separate from creation and corruption. Therefore, his call upon your life is to be separate from creation and separate from corruption.

Distinctly different from every other created being and distinctly different from all kinds of sinful acts and attitudes. That's the way our God is. He is completely separate from any kind of corruption. He is separate from his creation. Is it any wonder that in heaven, what do you hear over and over and over again? Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Could it be that the angels in heaven and the creatures in heaven, all they can see is that God himself is so distinctly different than anything else, than everyone else, that all they can name and claim is the holiness of God.

He is so utterly different than us. He is a holy God. And Peter says, we need to be holy as he himself is holy. That is, we too need to be separated. We too need to be distinctly different than creation and from corruption. That's the way our God is. Romans 8 says that God has predestined us to be conformed to his image. Those he predestined, he called. Those he called, he justified. Those he justified, he glorified. God called us to be like him. He called us with a holy calling that we might become a holy people, that we might become a distinct people, that we might become a different kind of people.

And therefore, the Bible says that our God is different and separate and distinct from creation and corruption.

Therefore, we as his children are called to be that way. Number two is the contrast. Notice what it says back in, in first Peter chapter one, it says this, but like the holy one who called you, the but gives us a contrast, a sharp contrast from verse number 14 where it says, as obedient children do not be conformed to the former lust, which were yours in your ignorance, but like the holy one himself, you too be holy.

See the contrast there? There's a big contrast. Notice he calls them obedient children. You see, there are only two kinds of children in the world, obedient ones and disobedient ones, right? The obedient ones are the children of God. The disobedient ones are not the children of God. How do we know that? Paul would say these words over in Ephesians chapter two, he said, and you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formally walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

You see the sons of disobedience are the unbeliever, but the children of obedience are the believers. So Peter is affirming their, their commitment to Christ. He is affirming the fact that these are children of the living God because they are children of obedience. He says, now, because you are children of obedience, because you are children of God, you must understand that you cannot be conformed to the former loss, which were yours in your ignorance. That is you can't be having your life patterned after the actions of your former way of life.

You can't be put into the mold of, of the way you used to be. Remember what, what Paul said in Romans chapter 12, verses one and two, he said, I therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, beg with you, plead with you that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world. Don't, don't be assuming an outer appearance of something that doesn't match the inner reality. Don't do that. There are three great therefores in the book of Revelation, book of Romans, Romans five, verse number one, Romans eight, verse number one, and Romans 12, verse number one, Romans five, one says, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.

So the first great therefore deals with our salvation. Paul spends the first four chapters of the book of Revelation, excuse me, the book of Romans, I got revelation in the mind tonight, the book of Romans dealing with man's fallen condition and that he can't save himself.

Only God can do that. And that comes because of the great work of God himself. And then he says, therefore, because you've been justified or made right with God by faith, you have peace with God. And then you come to Romans chapter eight, verse number one, he says, now, therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because of your salvation, there is Romans eight, one security.

There's security. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And now you come to Romans 12, verse number one, he says, because of your salvation and because of your security, now you have a great service, a sacrifice to that God who saved you and secured you.

See that? But you can't do that if you're being conformed to this world. So Paul would go on to say, be renewed in your minds. Those minds need to be transformed, metamorphosized, turned inside out. So you begin to think not as the world thinks, but as God himself thinks. So important. And so Peter gives us a sharp contrast. He says, as obedient children, do not be molded to the former lusts, which were yours in your ignorance. When was that? Well, that was before you were saved. Over in the book of Ephesians, Paul would say this in the fourth chapter.

He said this in verse number 17, he says, this I say, therefore, and affirm together with the Lord that you walk no longer, just as the Gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Paul says that the unbeliever is the ignorant one. He says that the children of disobedience are the ignorant ones. They are the ones who live in the futility of their mind. And you as believers can't let yourselves be controlled, be conformed, fit into the mold of the world the way you used to live when you were ignorant, because you're not ignorant anymore.

You know the truth. You understand the truth. You believe the truth. Therefore, you must live in conjunction with the truth, which leads us to point number three, the command.

We've looked at the call, the contrast, and the command. Understand this. You can't win the world looking and acting like the world. You can't. I love what Martin Lloyd-Jones said when he said these words. He says, our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt that there was something different about Him. And the world always expects us to be different. This idea that you are going to win people to the Christian faith by showing them that after all, you are remarkably like them is theologically and psychologically a profound blunder.

That's good. That's true. That's right. See, we tend to think that if we look like the world, then we can win the world. Let me tell you something.

If you look like the world, you probably are of the world. That's the way the Bible describes it. Now, some people might be offended by that, but let me tell you something.

The bottom line is, if Jesus Christ Himself was holy, distinctly separate from creation and corruption, and calls you to be holy, then His demand upon your life is that you be utterly different than creation. Everybody else. In fact, Peter would go on to say that we are aliens and strangers in a foreign land. We are so utterly different. We are so weird from everybody else. But, you know, we don't want to be weird. We want to fit in. We want to look like everybody else. We want to smell like everybody else.

We want to talk like everybody else. We want to dress like everybody else. Guess what? You're the everybody else, if that's the case. Because in Christianity, there is something distinctly different about your life. And Peter points that out. And he points it out to people who would like to probably just throw in the towel and say, you know what? I give up. It's not worth it. Go through all this persecution. Go through all these headaches. You know what? It's just not worth it. Now, Peter says, it is worth it.

It is. And it gives them these incentives that will motivate them and help them understand how they can maintain a holy lifestyle when the world around them is so unholy. And you know what? That's we need today. We need to understand that. We need people who are so different than everybody else that people, when they see them, could understand the difference. Because those people don't fit in anywhere. You know, I guess I've always liked it when I didn't fit in. You know, I never fit in when I was growing up.

I thought I did, but I really didn't. I didn't have a lot of friends and I was never invited places and all that kind of stuff. And I began to realize that I was so different than everybody else, not because I wanted to be, but just because I was. And I was never really a part of what everybody else was doing. Yes, I was an athlete. And yes, we won state championships. And yes, I was a part of those teams and all that kind of stuff. But I was never really in with everybody else. I was always on the outside of everybody else.

This never really fit in. My values were different. My beliefs were different. The way I lived was different. The way I talked was different. And so I wasn't necessarily accepted, but I was respected. And I think that that's what we need to understand as believers. We don't need to be accepted, but we do need to be respected. And that respect comes from living a life that matches God and His Word. And Peter says, we need to be holy as God Himself is holy.