Christian Living

GOLDEN TEXT: “As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.” —I Peter 1:15,16

COLOSSIANS 3:5-10; I TIMOTHY 4:12; I JOHN 2:1-6

THE expression in our Golden Text, “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” is a quotation from Leviticus 11:44. It is the conclusion of the Lord’s setting forth of his law with respect to eating clean and unclean animals and birds. Jehovah said to the Israelites, “I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” God was true to the Israelites, and exclusively their God. In return he expected them to be true to him, and to obey his laws and ordinances.—Lev. 19:2

So it is with God’s people of this Gospel age. He wants them to be wholly devoted to him “in all manner of conversation.” Here the word “conversation” in the Greek text is conduct. It includes not only what we talk about, but every aspect and activity of life. “Holiness unto the Lord” in all things is to be the aim and endeavor of every Christian.

Christians are to set their “affection, [or margin, mind] on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:2) Because of this we are to “mortify,” or deaden, our “members which are upon the earth.” Christians who are setting their affection on things above would not practice the gross sins mentioned in verse 5 of this chapter. All these sins, however, which in themselves should be shunned, may be considered as having their counterpart in our spiritual lives. “Fornication,” for example, could well symbolize unholy associations with the world and the things of the world.

Covetousness, Paul explains, is “idolatry.” No sincere Christian would be tempted to bow down before an actual idol, but there is a danger of setting up idols in our hearts to which we would give allegiance ahead of God. To covet the attainments or position of others, whether in the church, or in business, means that we idolize those things and would be willing to go to undue lengths to have them for our own.

We are to put off “all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication.” (verse 8) These unholy traits of character are unbecoming to anyone, and are specially reprehensible in a Christian. It would seem that only those just starting in the narrow way would display them, and yet, even the mature follower of the Master needs to be on guard against these evidences of sin.

In verse 9 Paul reminds us that we “have put off the old man with his deeds,” and in the next verse adds that we “have put on the new man.” But it is only in the determination of our minds and hearts that the “old man” has been put off. Our new minds (the “new man”) must live with and in opposition to the “old man” as long as we are this side of the veil; so there is a continual struggle—“The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.”—Gal. 5:17

The “new man” increases in knowledge, the knowledge, that is, of God, whose workmanship we are as new creatures. (Eph. 2:10) The purpose of growing in the knowledge of the Lord is that we may develop more and more into his image; for we are his children, and are called to be partakers of his glory.

Paul admonished Timothy to be an “example of the believers, in word, in conversation [conduct], in charity [love], in spirit, in faith, in purity.” If he was, then no one could despise his youth; for these are all characteristics of a mature Christian, whether he is young or old according to the flesh.

One of the lessons emphasized in I John 2:1-6 is that, try as we may, we will never be able to attain to the standard of perfection for which we are striving, and that, compensating for this, is the fact that we have “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Our assurance that we know God, and can enjoy his favor despite our fleshly imperfections, is the fact that we are making an earnest endeavor to keep his commandments. The apostle explains that whosoever does “keep his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.”

The love of God is that love which is all-comprehensive. If we have it in our hearts, we will love not only those who love us, but others as well—all others, including our enemies. We will not have affectionate feelings toward our enemies, but will be ready and willing to do them good whenever the opportunity affords. If we attain to this condition of heart, then we will “know that we are in Him.”

QUESTIONS

Where is the quotation found which Peter uses in our Golden Text, “Be ye holy for I am holy,” and what is its setting?

What does it mean to “mortify” the deeds of the body?

What symbolic meaning might be attached to some of the gross sins mentioned by Paul?

Does a Christian ever reach the point in this life where he does not need to be on guard against “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, [and] filthy communication”?

What does Paul mean by putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man”?

Now could Timothy be assured that his youth would not be despised by the older brethren?

Will we ever be able to reach perfection in flesh?

Is there any sense at all in which a Christian can be perfect?

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