1 Peter 1:14-16 Memory Monday

I'm working on memorizing 1 Peter 1:14-16. They go along with "The Mind of Christ" Bible study that I am working through. The study suggested memorizing verse 15, but I'm trying to be an overachiever - haha - and learn the verses on each side of it.

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to your former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, 16 because it is written, YOU SHALL BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY.


Holy means "set apart." It means not doing things the world's way, but God's way. It means keeping all the junk out of your life. It means if someone follows you around they see you living as a reflection of God and not your own usual selfish self.

I supppose that last paragraph isn't the one you'll find in a fancy Bible dictionary, but I was trying to sum it all up for you.

Memorizing these versese is the easy part. The difficult part is living that way. With the work of the Holy Spirit in your life it is possible, however, to live a holy life. I afraid our problem too often is that we don't want to. We've allowed ourselves to be conformed to our former lusts which we ours in our ignorance.

OK. Self-reflection time. What things in your life do you need to give over to God so that you can live a holy life? So often we say, "Well, that's just the way I am. Can't help myself." or "I don't feel like I"m holy or feel like I want to be holy." I guess we could rewrite these verses. "Be holy when you feel like it 'cause God knows it's difficult."
Ha! Holiness like so many other things is a choice we make. We choose to be obedient children or we choose not to be. Feelings should be a biproduct of what we do, not the driving force behind what we do.

I suppose if I was planning a sermon to preach I would go through this and put things in order and have nice connecting sentences to tie it all together. But I'm not. I'm just typing and hoping that you are following what I'm trying to say.

That's it. You have to decide now to be holy or to be conformed to your former lusts...

I hope you choose holiness.

Oh, I Want to Know You More

"We get along great ever since I lowered my expectations." When I first heard this said I about fell out of my chair. Hahahaha! I liked it so much I added it to my favorite quotes on Facebook! Of course I can't tell you who was being referred to. I suppose you can look on Facebook and see that Bro. Paul is the one that said it. haha. I don't know if he even remembers.

Have you ever really wanted to know someone better? And then once you got to know them you wondered why you wanted to know them in the first place? I, of course, never have. You all are wonderful! hahaha. Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn't like. (I know, you all have someone he should have met. haha) I guess I'm sort of like him. Well, except for one or two...

Sundays during worship are a great time for us to get to know God better. Of course it takes more than an hour a week to get to know someone, but this is a good start. (You also have to spend time each day in the Word, but that's another post.)

This Sunday in worship during the first part of the service it's my prayer that the songs will give opportunity for you to voice your desire to know the Lord more. I join the Apostle Paul in his prayer found in Ephesians 1:17

I keep asking that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

We'll begin the service this Sunday, August 8, singing 'Holy, Holy, Holy." This text of this great hymn was written in the 1820s. The tune we sing it to was first published in 1904. It is a great statement of faith and in the doctrine of the Trinity. In fact, the hymn tune was named NICAEA after the Council of Nicaea, AD 325, which formulated the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith which included an affirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity in response to the Arian heresy.

But I have distracted myself.

The third verse of this wonderful hymn has the words "though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see" (a reference to Isaiah 6) So I like to go from that verse right into "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord." (for you music people out there, just do them both in D. I suppose you could do them in E, but it makes "Holy, Holy, Holy" rather high for present day congregations. It was in E in the 1966 Baptist Hymnal.)

Then after singing through "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord" we'll go straight into the 4th verse of the hymn keeping the tempo and style the same.

"Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, In earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!"

Then the choir will sing a beautiful song titled "Oh, I Want to Know You More."
It has such a wonderful text.
The chorus says,

"Oh, I want to know You more.
Deep within my soul I want to know you. Oh, I want to know You.
To feel Your heart and know Your mind. Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me
Cries that say, 'I want to know You'
Oh, I want to know You more."

Then there is this text at the bridge. (Oh, if only we could sing this with all our hearts and truly mean it.)
"I would give my final breath to know You in Your death and resurrection. Oh, I want to know You more!" Whew!

Here's how the Apostle Paul worded this yearning of the heart. Phillipians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death

Preach yourself the sermon you need to hear to get you to the place that you can say this verse with all your heart while we sing it.

The other songs Sunday morning will be
"Nothing but the Blood"
and
"Covers Me for Life"
which I think will support very nicely a message about knowing for sure about your salvation and knowing that you are secure in your salvation (Covers Me for Life).

I'll be looking for you Sunday morning.