Can you be perfect?

1 Peter 1:13 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

I remember the first time I read this verse. It was a bit overwhelming, as it should be. Peter is instructing us to be holy? Doesn’t that mean he is essentially telling us to be perfect? uhhh, no.

Holiness is impossible for man. There is only one person who ever lived a holy life…Jesus Christ. So it is important to understand this concept of dying with Christ and being reborn in him and through him. When we die to who we were, that person no longer exists. When we have a new life, our life is now the same as Christ. That’s why the word says, “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” God no longer sees the old you, he sees his son (and in a weird way, himself) in you. So when peter says be holy, what he is essentially saying is let Christ be in you so God sees you as holy.

If you are a new Christian this should be one of the most liberating passages in the bible. If you read it out of context it would be overwhelming because you would think you can’t sin because you would fail at being holy. What you need to receive from this passage is that you can’t be holy apart from Christ, so let him in. When you realize this what should happen is a genuine thankfulness for what God has done by making you holy and then you actually want to work towards holy living. Remember, we bear fruit as Christians which means as you grow, more of God should show in you than your old self. But, you are made instantly holy at the point you receive Christ…it’s just time to start appropriating this holy living in your daily lifestyle.

Thank you Lord for your forgiveness and love in spite of me.