hagios<\/em>) meaning that there is a lifestyle difference defined in quality. For a Christian, who has been \u201ccalled\u201d (1 Peter 1:15) by God to be His child, to be holy includes a hatred for sin and a complete dedication to that which is good and acceptable to God. See Arichea, D. C., & Nida, E. A. (1980). A handbook on the first letter from Peter (p. 36). New York: United Bible Societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As one commentator writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holiness produces in our lives a loving conformity to God\u2019s commands which ultimately produces the character of God in us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walls, D., & Anders, M. (1999). I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Vol. 11, pp. 12\u201313). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commentators disagree about the Scriptural source for verse 16. Whatever the specific text Peter had in mind, the fact of the matter is that the theme he expressed runs throughout the Old Testament. And that theme is, \u201cGod\u2019s people are to live holy and pleasing lives because God is holy and good.\u201d See Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, pp. 80\u201381). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summary, Scripture calls a Christian to live a holy life, and a holy life is a lifestyle quantitatively different from that of the world. It is a lifestyle that displays a hatred for sin and a love for conformity to God\u2019s holy standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bible is the source of guidance about how a Christian is to live a holy life. Therefore, Bible study exposes a person to what comprises a holy life. There is several passages that characterize God\u2019s Word as a lamp that gives light, i.e., guidance, to one\u2019s path, i.e., living life. In the 21st Century, this is a metaphor since light is necessary to show the way and thereby keep a person from stumbling and falling in the present darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Psalm 119:105 states very clearly that the Bible guides a person to holy living when it (ESV) reads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, the expressions of \u201clamp\u201d and \u201clight\u201d represent the guidance that God provides through His Word. The corresponding expressions of \u201cfeet\u201d and \u201cpath\u201d represent one\u2019s life or behavior. See Bratcher, R. G., & Reyburn, W. D. (1991). A translator\u2019s handbook on the book of Psalms (pp. 1027\u20131028). New York: United Bible Societies. It follows that God\u2019s Word discloses to the believer the information or data that is necessary to determine God\u2019s will and then live in obedience to His revealed will. See Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable\u2019s Expository Notes on the Bible (Ps 119:97\u2013105). Galaxie Software. Through His Word, i.e., the Bible, we learn what to follow, i.e., that which is right, and what to avoid, i.e., that which is wrong or error. See Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 383). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The light given by God\u2019s Word is the guide to keeping one\u2019s way pure, i.e., the instructions for holy living. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:9\u201311 (ESV):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, the Psalmist first asks the question of how can I live a holy life? He then answers his question by saying that it is through God\u2019s Word one lives (or knows how to live) a holy life. In other words, God\u2019s Word contains the way or instructions to live a godly life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In verse 10, the Psalmist seeks God with his whole heart and asks that God would not let him wander from the teachings of God\u2019s Word. In verse 11, he has stored up, i.e., memorized, God\u2019s Word in his heart so that he can live a holy life, i.e., might not sin against God. As one commentator writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Word of God is the agent the Spirit of God used to regenerate the hearts of all of us who are saved (Eph. 5:25\u201327), and he continues to use that same cleansing power in our lives. By that Word, the Holy Spirit shows us what pleases God and what doesn\u2019t and, in so doing, calls us away from sin and into purity of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellsworth, R. (2006). Opening up Psalms (pp. 24\u201325). Leominster: Day One Publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The New Testament supports the principle that the Bible teaches about how to live a holy life. In this regard, Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:19 (ESV):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We see that Peer instructs his audience to \u201cpay attention\u201d to what God\u2019s Word says. The Greek verb prosech\u014d<\/em> means \u201cpay attention,\u201d and it means to turn one\u2019s mind to or to pay close attention to something. See Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 353). New York: United Bible Societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPeter describes God\u2019s Word as \u201ca lamp shining in a dark place.\u201d Here, the \u201clamp\u201d is God\u2019s Word (see Davids, P. H. (2006). The letters of 2 Peter and Jude (pp. 208\u2013209). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.) and is along the lines of the \u201clamp\u201d in Psalm 119:105. The \u201cdark place\u201d can be our present 21st Century America, and even in many instances, the American church. See Arichea, D. C., & Hatton, H. (1993). A handbook on the letter from Jude and the second letter from Peter (pp. 97\u201398). New York: United Bible Societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We see that Peter is instructing his audience to turn their minds or attention to God\u2019s Word for correction, warning, guidance, and encouragement. Turning to God’s Word will allow us to walk in safety or live a holy life consistent with God\u2019s Word. See Walls, D., & Anders, M. (1999). I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Vol. 11, pp. 113\u2013114). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Relying on the Bible is especially the case in an environment in which false teaching abounded, and in which only God\u2019s Word is true light for holy living. See Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable\u2019s Expository Notes on the Bible (2 Pe 1:19). Galaxie Software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holy living is a lifestyle every Christian ought to deeply desire. 21st Century America desperately needs holy living. The Bible teaches that God wants a Christian to live a holy life. The Bible gives guidance about how to live a holy life. It is clear that Bible study, i.e., knowing how to study the Bible, is vital to a Christian living a holy lifestyle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NOTICE OF PERMISSIONS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am mindful of and respect the rights other authors and\/or publishers possess in their works. I thus try my best to not violate any copyright laws or rights other authors and\/or publishers possess in their works. The below copyright permission statements are the result of my best efforts to understand that limited usage or \u201cfair use\u201d is available and\/or to secure direct permission for specific works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scripture quotations are from the ESV\u00ae Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Part 5B shows that God wants a believer to live a holy life and the Bible gives guidance on holy living Holy living is precisely what God wants from a believer. A text like 1 Peter 1:15\u201316 (ESV) makes God\u2019s command to be \u201choly\u201d crystal clear: 15 but as he who called you is holy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[321],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-study"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}