Encouragements for our troubled times No. 48
COVID-19 Series | Date: 18 February 2021
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Pastor
1 Peter 1:14-16
“As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written,” be holy for I am Holy”
As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written,” be holy for I am Holy”.
We enjoy so many privileges and blessings in the Christian life from being the subjects of the covenant made between the Father and the Son and, as a consequence, being loved, chosen and predestined to eternal life to being cherished and kept by the power of Almighty God for our eternal inheritance in Heaven with Him. But with great privileges comes great responsibilities. Peter highlights one of our greatest responsibilities here in these verses; we are to be like our Father, we are to be holy. Now, it’s true that we will never be perfectly holy while we are still in the flesh, but we can and must strive to be. Peter explains how we must strive to be holy.
Firstly, we must be obedient children. Obedience is so important in the Christian life. God expects it of His loved ones and if we love Him, Jesus says, we will keep His commandments. Now, it is our duty to love the Lord our God with all our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength; but we do not do this out of duty but out of love for Him. We want to be obedient children so that we may please Him and so that we may be like Him. So, holiness in the Christian life always starts with obedience to God’s revealed will, His Word.
Secondly, and this springs from obedience, we must not conform ourselves to the former lusts, as in our ignorance. Those things we lusted after and lived for when we did not know our God; the things of this world, especially those sinful things we loved so much. Sadly, it’s quite possible for us to be drawn back to those things. And, in these days of Covid when we are hidden away in our homes isolated from fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s easy for us to let things slip in our lives and not be diligent and applying ourselves to being transformed by the renewing of our minds in the things of our God. But if we want to be holy then we must strive to put away the things of the flesh and live in the things of the Spirit.
Thirdly, if we desire to be holy then we must remember that it is our calling by God. He is Holy and He expects His children to be like Him. He hates sin and all that perverts and pollutes and destroys His creation, and so should we. We should find no joy or pleasure in the sinful, fallen things of this world. They should grieve our righteous souls as they grieve His. He loves the things that are pure and righteous, and so should we. We should love that which is good and lovely and pure. As those who are now clothed in His righteousness, we should seek to be righteous, walking in the things of the Spirit, seeking to glorify Him in all that we do and say and think and feel.
So, while we have so much time on our hands, let us apply ourselves to being holy, like our God. And let us be diligent in putting away the things of the old man.
So let our lips and lives express The holy gospel we profess; So let our works and virtues shine, To prove the doctrine all divine.