Can I Be Holy? 1 Peter 1:6

To be holy before God would be a good thing- it would guarantee acceptance with him, but can we be holy? The Bible seems to say we can.

"For it is written, "Be holy for I am Holy." 1 Peter 1:6

WRITTEN
This is not new teaching since it was already written in the Old Testament. The holiness of God is taught early in the Bible.

HOLY
To be holy is to be set apart. It is to be set apart from the common and especially from the sinful. All of God's people are holy; this is an exception to what we think. When we think about holiness, we think that only special people are holy, but the Lord wants holiness for all believers.

A COMMAND
It is a command to be holy, so we must have the ability to affect our own personal holiness. Since it is a command, we have a responsibility for it.

GOD IS HOLY
God's holiness is his standard. God is holy, and because His holiness is so different from us, we must become like him in holiness to have true communion with him. If we do not have a sense of personal holiness, we will not have satisfaction in our prayers, fellowship, Bible reading, and other disciplines that grow our spiritual life.

We cannot become holy by ourselves because of our sins, but God sent his son to die for our sins so we may have forgiveness of sin. Our expression of faith in him removes our unholiness and gives us a holy standing before God; this holiness is a gift since we could never earn it. The Almighty gives it to us freely.

See my other post to learn more about the plan of salvation and how you can have this personal holiness.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/7/14

What Does The Bible Say To Do About Anxiety?

Sometimes we feel that the weight of our anxiety is a huge dark burden that is slowly smothering our existence. Is there anything we can do? Can the Bible offer help?

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. NIV.

CAST
This is a word we do not use often. It can mean throw, as in throw away, it can mean give away, or turn away. It is an action. The action is to get rid of something completely and in a way that involves separation like throwing something.

To cast something just doesn't happen, it requires a decision and an action. You must grasp the thing and cast it.

It is not a little toss but a determined and mighty throw to get it as far from you as possible.

ALL
"All" is everything. Sometimes in the life of faith, we pray and bring everything to God but keep back some little detail and think we can handle that one; but all is the whole thing with every detail and little part.

ANXIETY
Anxiety is the same as worry or care. Worry is an insult to an All-Powerful God. Worry says we doubt his power or his ability. Anxiety says God cannot be trusted; that somehow he who can create the universe in seven days, can't create a solution for our problem.

HIM
We must remember the most important person in the reference verse it is not us and our worries it is him who still storms, raises the dead, opens seas for his people, walks through the flames with his faithful, shuts the mouth of lions, commands angels, and rules all time and space. We should focus not on our worries but on our All-Powerful God.

BECAUSE
The Apostle Peter could have listed any number of reasons to give our anxieties to God but he chose to the one supreme reason to cast our care on him- it is that he loves us. His love for us is beyond measure. He loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to pay for our sin, (John 3:16). If he loves us so much as to give his son to bring us to himself; there is nothing he won't do for us.*

See Romans 8:32

(c) Adron 6/3/13

What Does God Want Me To Do? 1 Peter 4:10

We have talents, abilities and gifts, so we wonder what is next in our lives.  What does God want me to do with the "me" he has made me to be?

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4: 10, NIV.

WHO
The gifts God gives men is not so that some may use them but that we "each one" should use the gifts God has given us. The Bible does not teach some use their gifts while others watch, but that all use their gifts in service.

WHATEVER
In 1 Peter 4:11 he specifies spiritual gifts such as speaking the Word, and serving; though it is clear from the Bible that we are all given spiritual gifts and it is apparent from life that God has given us physical gifts too. According to Peter "Whatever" gift God has given us, speaking or serving, is to be used to serve others.

BEYOND MERIT
We must remember these gifts are received; we could never get these on our own. We did not merit the gifts of the spirit but God gives them out of his grace. Also we can take no more credit for our physical talents than we can take credit for the color of our eyes, they all come from God. We should be humbled that God has given us any talents at all.

GIFTS TO GIVE
God has a purpose in giving us the gifts he gives, both physical and spiritual; it is not so we can be on center stage gaining all the attention, but so that we can serve. To serve takes the role of the lesser and perform actions of meeting need. In serving we make the one we serve more important or noble than ourselves. As John the Baptist said, "I am not worthy to untie the lace of his sandal."* When we serve any persons of the Church we are serving Jesus of whom we are not worthy.

Our gifts are a responsibility we must discharge faithfully, and diligently use those gifts for his service. As stewards of these blessings and will give account for them; our task is to be ready to say, "Yes!" when presented an opportunity to employ our gifts in service to mankind.

INEXHAUSTIBLE
Using our gifts makes us vehicles bringing God's grace to others. Through us God does deeds of mercy, kindness, love, and brings light to a dark world. When we use these gifts they do not diminish but seem to reveal unanticipated dimensions; and our use of them do not exhaust them us but gives us joy.

If you want to learn more about coming to the Lord visit my other blog: click here.

*John 1:27

(c)Adron Dozat

What Happens When You Make Jesus Your Lord. 1 Peter 3:15

We call Jesus Lord. Is it just a title, or is it supposed to mean something to me personally?

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15.

LORD
The Bible encourages us to make Christ as Lord in our hearts.  It begins as is a decision on our part, a decision to recognize the truth that Jesus is Lord. Second, we need to express it to him in prayer and to others in testimony.  We must stay mindful that he is Lord not only of our circumstances but of our actions and reactions.

WHY
When we make Jesus Lord in our hearts, our lives and actions will reflect him.  We will have confidence in going through trials. We will have peace, contentment, victory, and calm that people will see and wonder.  That leads to being prepared to give an answer.  We will be watched by others who want to see how we react as we go through trials.

HOW
We should pray daily to be able to communicate his lordship.  We should always be ready to explain our faith and have everything in readiness for action. Jesus was gentle with people, and we should follow his example.  We see him patiently sharing his truth to those in darkness, yet he was kind personified when talking to people.  He used questions and parables to convey his gospel.

RESPECT
We may not respect the twisted doctrines that have enslaved the minds and lives of others, but we should respect the persons we are speaking to, for our Lord loves them and died for them.  Every time we speak to another about the truth of the hope we have in us, it is a call for humility.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross should fill us with humility and a reverence for all humanity for whom he died. Let us be ready to give an answer.

(c) Adron 11/19/11