How in the world can we be holy? (continued)

                                                                (Courtesy of clipartangel.com)

I want to make sure that I didn't give the wrong impression last time....Peter is going to give us instructions on holy living in an unholy world. That's true. But you know, we can't get to heaven by trying to be a nice person, and amassing a long list of good works.
Good works just won't "cut it."  Good works won't pay the penalty for our sins. We've noted before that only the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, can satisfy the justice of God. That's what we trust in, not our good works.
BUT.....if our faith in Jesus is real, it is going to result in lives of progressive holiness. That's because we will be striving against sin and seeking to grow in holiness. Sure, good works are a result of that. But they are a result -- not a strategy.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;without holiness no one will see the Lord.  (Hebrews 12:14)

So, developing that holy lifestyle is important, and it's what we are looking at this week.

Clear as mud? (Grin) Well, I hope it's clearer than that....
Peter's first instructions to us are in verse 13:

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. (I Peter 1:13)

Looks to me like Peter is urging us to focus on the fact that Christ will return.  Holy living is motivated by the knowledge that no one knows when He will appear; it could be today or it could be many years from now.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:7-9) 

When we read verse thirteen in the King James, a wonderful mental picture pops into our heads: it tells us to "gird up the loins of our mind."
I see your eyebrows raised!
Here's what he means.....the menfolk of the day wore two layers of garments, and the outer layer was usually a long and flowing robe. If a man needed to run, or work in the field, or fight in a battle, that robe was going to get in the way! So, they would tuck their robes into their belts to keep them out of the way, and keep them from hindering them.
Today, we'd say we're going to "roll up our sleeves" and get to work.
Peter is telling us that we must be mentally prepared for action, or for combat in order to achieve this holy lifestyle. We have to mean business!
So, how do we "gird" up our minds? How do we remove hindrances to holiness?
Quite frankly, holiness begins in our brains. What we think determines how we will live, so it is practical to start with our "thought life." I've learned from experience that we must deal with sin on the thought level! We must judge our wicked thoughts the very moment that we have them.... then confess them to God..... and then replace those sinful thoughts with thoughts of Him and His Word. Deal with our thoughts instantly! I have heard so many preachers in my life say this, that I don't know who said it first, but it's a true analogy: you can't stop a bird from alighting on your head and then flying away, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair!
That fleeting thought of jealousy, the quick flare of anger at someone, the judgmental attitude that makes harsh words fly off our lips -- all of these are instantaneous. Confess and replace those thoughts with thinking of God's blessings, or a verse that we are trying to memorize. Don't let those sinful thoughts hang around and make a home (build a nest) within us. Paul puts it this way:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (II Corinthians 10:5)

I guess what Peter is trying to tell us is that it's at this basic level, the thought level, that our Christianity is either very real, or very fake.We can fool a lot of people; we can even fool all the people; but God knows our thoughts!

You have searched me, Lord,    and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;    you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;    you are familiar with all my ways.
 Before a word is on my tongue    you, Lord, know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4)

Yep, He knows.
And truth of the matter is, if we are faking it and not working on a holy thought life, sooner or later it's going to pop out where everyone else can see. It's going to come out in the open. Whether it's harsh words against someone, or the jealous actions we take, or even someone who commits adultery -- none of that happens unless first the thoughts are entertained in the mind.  Interesting turn of phrase, don't ya think? Don't entertain those thoughts. Don't make 'em comfy, and keep 'em around. Get the broom of the Word and sweep 'em out!
We need to guard what enters (and stays in) our mind just as carefully as we guard what we eat. We wouldn't think of drinking spoiled milk because it would make us sick. But do we feed our thoughts daily on the media and television? Do we neglect feeding our thoughts on God's Word? How can we possibly be holy women or men?

Peter tells us to fix our hope completely on the grace that will be ours at Christ's return. Holiness will be beginning in our minds as we think often of our Savior. Think of His love, and His blessings, and of how we will be changed into His likeness when He returns!

More on this tomorrow......