To Live is Christ — God is in the details

Some Christians started their walk with Jesus as small children. Others, like myself, did so when we were adults. The verse that I’ve been studying manages to cover both ends of that spectrum.

Behave like obedient children. Don’t let your lives be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. (1 Peter 1:14–15)

The person who has known Christ from childhood knows what “obedient children” means. They have been there and struggled with doing what they were told — just as any other child. The difference is that Christ makes it possible to obey from the heart. The obedient children are not “standing up on the inside.” This submission to God is part of what it means to be holy, even for children.

The person who is saved as an adult knows what life “controlled by your desires” means. We have been there, but instead of struggling with it, we were ignorant of our motivations — at least until Christ came and revealed our sinful selfishness to us. Then began the struggle. Our knowledge of what it means to behave in godly ways comes later in life, but for me and for the person who became a believer at five or six years old, the command is the same. We are both to live as God’s holy people should live.

Holiness sounds like pie in the sky. Is it even possible? God must think so because He does not ask us to do more than we are able — in the power of the Holy Spirit. As I understand it, holiness is being different from what I once was. It is being like Jesus. To do that, Jesus must be in control of my life (that is the obedience part) and I must forsake all my own desires.

Holiness could be an extremely pious life, but Jesus lived and walked among us as an ordinary man in many ways. He ate with sinners. He went to weddings. He cried at a grave side. He cared about those who suffered. His own brothers thought He was insane. No one ever accused Him of being overtly pious or what we might call “holier than thou.” He was simply good, and did the will of God with all His heart.

According to this verse, holiness begins at the decision making level. Each day I am faced with choices. When I choose my desires, I forsake holiness. When I obey God, I embrace holiness. This might involve actions so ordinary that no one realizes the inner choice that I made.

At the same time, whatever I decide to do in the name of Jesus and at His bidding will have eternal importance. I might not see or understand what that is, but in the plan of God, my choice to abandon sin and be holy is part of what He is doing. Because He considers them important, this adds excitement to even the small things of life.