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| “Be holy, because I am holy.” |
| —1 Peter 1:16 |
Living a holy life is simply not cool. Most Christians like to retain some pet sin that they nurture, and think about, and in which they secretly delight.
I grew up in Fundamentalism with all its rules of behavior. I look back in dismay at how some parts of that upbringing stifled my understanding of the fullness of God’s grace. But, at the same time, I am very grateful for the solid foundation of biblical teaching and warm fellowship that Fundamentalism conveyed.
In my early years of adulthood, I became somewhat of a Neo-Evangelical and began to experience the joy that comes from appreciating more fully the Person and work of the Holy Spirit and the amazing wonders of God’s grace. Gradually, as I spent more time studying Scripture, I moved away from the Arminianism of my youth and became deeply committed to a Calvinist-Reformed theological perspective.
In these last 20 years, I have become a Presbyterian. First, for ten years in an Evangelical-leaning PC(USA) church, and more recently in the last ten years, in an Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I appreciate many, many things about the EPC denomination. But, with more than a little sardonic irony, I’m not certain that I really fit in with Presbyterianism—at least to an extent that I’m all that happy about it.
You see, when viewed from the perspective of my own spiritual journey, almost all of my Presbyterian brethren do not seem to have as deep a commitment to the church as my Fundamentalist upbringing has taught me one should have. Nor do they shun certain sins in quite the way I was taught to do so. In fact, with a wink and a nod, they seem to delight in these little pet behaviors—these pet sins—that, from my perspective, are potential slippery slopes that might lead to even more serious sins.
Make no mistake, these dear Evangelical Presbyterians truly love Jesus and want to do what’s right. They just seem a little “loosey-goosey” when it comes to certain sins. In contrast, if I frankly and carefully examine my own life, with shock and surprise I discover that deep down I, too, have been nurturing some pet sins of my own that are every bit as bad, or even far worse, than the pet sins I observe in my Evangelical Presbyterian brethren.
Holiness is just not cool. And, yet we are called to live holy lives. Here’s the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:13-16:
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Fortunately for everyone, I’m not the ultimate judge of my fellow believers’ spiritual behavior. God forbid that my role as a judge would ever be so. For if I was the true judge, I would have to judge myself most harshly of all. Instead of looking at my brothers and sisters in Christ, I would have to fall on my knees before God and tearfully confess my own long list of pet sins. In fact, I would do well to pause in the middle of writing this blog post and do that very thing!
Knowing that God has called His children to holiness, let us humbly ask the Holy Spirit to nurture within us a spirit of obedience to God’s will and to God’s written Word. Let’s throw off the shackles of our pet sins and strive for holiness. Then, as freshly cleaned vessels of God’s mercy, grace, and love, let us share what God has done for us with the people He brings across the pathway of our lives.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2015
