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This verse is taken from:
1 Peter 1. 13-21
“search the scriptures” John 5:39
Leaving consideration of the glories of our salvation, in the second half of the chapter Peter addresses its practical implications.
An appropriate response to God’s grace involves focus and should lead to obedience, holiness and the fear of God. Surely this represents an urgent call to our generation too! Verse 13 also emphasises the need to set our hearts unreservedly on the coming glory to be ours when Christ is revealed; cf. Col. 3. 1-4. This will in turn mean a decisive putting away of those sins and sinful associations of the pre-conversion life and a commitment to obedience to the will of God, v. 14. The path of obedience is also the path of holiness, vv. 15-16. Whilst conversion itself decisively sets us apart to God, 1 Cor. 1. 2, it is also imperative that there should be practical progress in sanctification in the lives of those thus set apart. In his call to sanctification, Peter is here echoing a prominent Old Testament command, Lev. 11. 44; 19. 2; 20. 7, 26. God laid hold on Israel and separated them to be His special people. Holiness required their alignment to His personal will and the loving demands of Him who claimed their absolute allegiance. The call to holiness has timeless validity and urgency for the people of God. Our objective must be to partake of the perfection that marks our Father in heaven, Matt. 5. 48. It is not simply separation from evil, but necessarily involves dedication to righteous living, Rom. 6. 19; 2 Cor. 7. 1.
Further motivation is supplied by verses 17,18. A privileged people, we call upon a Father who is the impartial judge of all; hence godly fear is appropriate throughout the sojourn of our earthy life. This fear is by no means incompatible with the love of God and is in fact a dread of displeasing and dishonouring the One who has redeemed us at such enormous cost.
God’s call to holiness is comprehensive and embraces ‘all manner of conversation’. ‘Conversation’, or better ‘conduct’ RSV, is a favourite word of Peter’s: he uses it both of the evil lifestyle of unbelievers, 1. 18; 2 Pet. 2. 7, and, by contrast, for the good pattern of life of believers - having potential to bring about the salvation of a thoughtful observer, 2. 12; 3. 1, 2,16.
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