It wasn't the first time Peter had listened to Jesus preach – he'd been a follower for some time – always fitting it in, you understand, between his fishing trips. God was so plainly with Jesus, Peter had no doubt he must be God's Messiah. What a preacher – the enthralled crowds had pressed so close – Jesus had had to ask to speak from Peter's boat. He was so different from the other rabbis. So authoritative, so direct and challenging. If Jesus was God's King – then the kingdom would be unlike any other this world had ever known. A kingdom where God came first, and men dealt in love and justice with each other.

Nor was it the first time that Peter had seen Jesus work a miracle. His own mother-in-law had been healed of a fever – and a vast number of others, even those oppressed by demons. The love and power of God just shone through this man. But, of course, healing wasn't in Peter's line of business. Fishing was. All night they'd worked hard, hauling in the nets and letting them out again. But they'd caught nothing. And anyone would know you hadn't a chance in mid-morning, with the sun blazing down. But Jesus had asked him – and Peter had humoured Jesus – and gone along with it. And now they had a catch. Not just a few – but a vast shoal of fish – enough to sink two boats. This spoke to Peter as nothing else could.

Up till now his discipleship had fitted around his fishing – when he could spare the time. The contrast between his commitment to God – and Jesus's – was overwhelming. Suddenly, in Jesus, Peter saw all God's holiness, and he sank to his knees. Go away from me, for I am a sinful man! But God wasn't finished with Peter. Far from it – it was only a beginning.

When God really wants to deal with us, and change our life-style – he does something like that to us. He shows us how far off we are from being like him. It was like that for Moses, when God confronted him at the burning bush. (Exod 3:1ff) It was like that for Isaiah, when God gave him a tremendous vision of himself – and Isaiah saw him as the true King of Israel – enthroned in majestc glory, attended by angelic beings who covered their faces and feet in God's presence, and continually called out, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah knew he was utterly unfit to be there, Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips... (Isa 6:1-8)

In all such cases, men see the awful difference between themselves and God. Not just the awesome difference between the Creator and his creature – but the separation made by sin, by man's rebellion – his moral flthiness in the presence of God's utter purity. It is no wonder Isaiah cried out. Before we can worship or serve God, we need cleansing and forgiveness. Before Isaiah was commissioned and sent as God's messenger – he needed this vision of God – to see his own unfitness, to know God's love and grace in forgiving him. In his vision, an angel took a glowing coal from the altar, touched Isaiah's lips with it, and told him, Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.

In some measure everyone of us needs the same experience – if we are ever to come into God's presence, to serve him on earth, and to be with him in eternity. For we are all morally unclean, unfit to know God. But we don't recognise it – beyond the fact that we're out of touch with God, unaware of him, not knowing him, not caring about him. God has to break into our lives, reveal his holiness – and our failure and peril. And in his love he does just that. And then he shows us his way of forgiveness – through the death of Jesus Christ, his Son.

Peter, in his letter, is writing to those God has already spoken to, pardoned, and given new life to, and the promise of being kept by God's power – until they receive the fullness of God's salvation when Jesus returns. Therefore – he writes –

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But, just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (Lev 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:26)
Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:13-21)

Because of what God has done for us – because of what God IS – God expects us to live changed lives: Be holy, because I am holy. Because GOD is holy – he yearns for us – he commands us to become like him. He never lies, he is never impure, unfaithful or unjust. God is light –in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) He alone is the source of all goodness and purity.

For Peter it is sufficient that "It is written". The God we worship in Christ is the same God who revealed himself to Moses and to Isaiah. The moral demands he laid on his people then, he lays on us now. He longs for us to be like him, to have his moral character – how could it be otherwise, if he is our Father and we his obedient children? Are we indifferent to the behaviour of our children? How could he possibly ignore or approve of any evil we do? Could he be perfectly holy, if he relaxed his standards? No – he says, Be holy in ALL you do. (1:15). Elsewhere he says, Without holiness no-one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)

Holiness is a word we use very reluctantly. Partly because we ourselves are far from holy, and we know it. Partly because we are aware of the counterfeit – a sanctimonious piety of religious hypocrites, such as Christ condemned. True holiness is not outward show, but a reality within, which God sees. Real holiness attracts, by its goodness and love to others, although it will do its good deeds in secret if it can.

To encourage us, Peter
1. shows us what we were like – a look back;
2. tells us what we are to become – a look forward;
3. reminds us of God's love for us.

1. A look back.

What were we like? We followed our own desires, in ignorance of God. We didn't know him. We didn't even know he existed, and we didn't care. We were dead to him, in a kind of darkness. All that really influenced us was what we wanted. Or what others around us wanted – whose ideas we modelled ourselves upon. We adopted the fashion of the world and its desires – an empty way of life handed down to us by others. Isn't that still true today?

God is non-existent. Life evolved from slime. When we die we cease to exist. Life is short and meaningless. Right and wrong are what you decide – or what others think. Nothing really matters. Get out of life all you can. In Dostoyevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan Karamazov asks, "Is God dead? – then everything is permitted."

But we've discovered God is not dead – he is the centre of all existence. He's touched us, and given us a new life in Christ. Life has meaning – we share in the love of Christ. We have a Lover who will never cast us aside – who communicates his love to us – and who wants to reach out to others through us.

We've responded to that love. Right and wrong matter. Not because of some written code. But because of our new personal relationship. We do right when we do our Father's will. We do it to please him, to stay close to him, to remain in his love. It means going against the tide of the world. Our lives have changed – and must go on changing.

2. A look forward.

Be holy – for I am holy. Those words were spoken to God's people, after he'd rescued them from slavery in Egypt. He'd rescued them to be his very own people – set apart to show God's character to the world. It's the same for us – who know we're destined to be with God for ever!

Have you noticed? What others expect of us? Claim to be a Christian, at work – or to a neighbour – and they will expect you to be different. Not to swear, tell dirty jokes, be dishonest, inconsiderate, or a gossip. They watch you closely, and set higher standards for you, than they set for themselves. That's hard – but healthy – because they recognise that in Christianity there's a connexion between being a believer and living an upright life.

So it's important that we ask – What does it mean to be holy? I've already given you some idea of this. I believe it means being

                  (a)  like God – with love for others;
                  (b)  set apart for God – committed to obey him;
                  (c)  concerned for God's honour – giving him the glory.

(a) Being like God – with love for others.

If I were to ask you to name some saintly people, you'd probably mention some well-known Christians. But holiness is the everyday business of each one of us. That's why God insists it has to do with caring for the poor and the refugee and doing so in a way that preserves their dignity. With paying our employees a fair wage, and on time. Not taking bribes to defraud others, or deprive them of justice. And so on.. (Lev 19:1-18) Every decision we take, all we do, hour by hour – should reveal our concern to be holy, as God is holy. If the Holy Spirit is active in our lives it MUST show.

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, there was a place of imprisonment, called the Maze prison, which held captive violent men from both sides of the conflict. Their leaders imposed a strict no-fraternisation rule. But there was a steady stream of conversions to Christ – and such men came to realise there there HAD to be love between them. One lunch time a group from both sides carried a table into the centre of the segregated dining hall, and sat down together. The two IRA men were told they'd be executed at 5pm. They could only kneel in their cells and put themselves in God's hands.

Holiness is obeying God and showing love and forgiveness – because that's what God has shown you – even if it should cost you your life. Of course, it need not be anything so dramatic. It's harder to show steady devotion and love to a sick or aged parent, for years on end. It attracts no notice whatever, costly though the sacrifices may be. But God sees.

(b) Set apart for God – committed to obey him.

Probably we've known men or women who've lost jobs, because they've refused to go along with something shady or dishonest. Charles Colson, in his book, Loving God, gives several examples where the experience of God's grace has meant that they too must show love and mercy – even to their own disadvantage.

One such case concerned a judge who couldn't in conscience impose a heavy mandatory sentence on a first offender. Instead, he imposed a much lesser one – resulting in his own dismissal and conviction for criminal contempt. Holiness is showing God's character of love and mercy – even when it means obeying God rather than men.

God calls us to much costlier discipleship than most of us wish for. But God's demand is entirely right – we ought not follow the fashion of this sinful world, nor be half-hearted or insincere disciples. We can't please God and self – like King Saul tried to do. God wants men and women after his own heart – like David who, despite his lapses, had a heart open and tender towards God – or like Mary, who was ready to suffer misunderstanding – and the possible loss of her future husband – because she made obeying and trusting God her top priority.

At this point we may be tempted to cry out that God asks the impossible! But so did Jesus when he asked the man with a withered hand to stretch it out – or the paralysed man to get up, pick up his bed and walk home. (Mk 3:5; 2:11) God's command is an enabling word, if we respond to it with acceptance, trust and obedience. God makes obedience possible through his Spirit. And when we have new life we want to obey. But first we must be willing to do God's will.

(c) Concerned for God's honour – giving him the glory.

The first petition of the Lord's Prayer is, Hallowed be your name. (Matt 6:9; Lk 11:2) How often we've said those words – but not given them another thought! In fact we can't really pray them until we seek to exalt God in our own lives! We soon sense that private morality is not enough, we need to give God the credit.

Psalm 119:136 says, Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Is that how we feel about the world around us? We have to be like Daniel, when he prayed. (Dan 9:5ff) He identified himself with his own sinful nation. We ought to identify ourselves with those who ignore and disobey God – and ask God to forgive our own nation, and the society we live among. Do we grieve that God and his love are rejected and despised? Perhaps because of our lack of caring, our lack of commitment for justice, our lack of willingness to be thought fools for Christ's sake. All these things are included in what it means to be holy.

3. A reminder of God's love for us.

In conclusion, Peter seeks to move us. He points us to the awesomeness of God – he's our Judge as well as our Father. And Peter points us to the sacrificial love of God, that saves us from meeting him only as Judge. God hates sin for its vileness, for all it does to destroy the souls and lives of men, women and children. He can't overlook sin – although he longs to cleanse us, free us from it, and change us to be like himself. He therefore had to deal with sin, but in accord with his own righteous character. We certainly can't. Our sin condemns us. Only God could come to our rescue.

In his great love and mercy he did – coming himself in the person of his Son – to bear all the consequences of our sin, in his own person. Peter describes Christ as the unblemished sacrifice – for he alone is without sin – whose shed blood is of infinite value. And this was no fortuitous or stop-gap sacrifice – God had planned it before the creation of the universe, in the full knowledge of how we would use our freedom to disobey, and turn away from him. Such is the depth of his love.

Seek with me this morning to comprehend the pain of God – who loves us so much. Who knew there was no other way for us to be able to come back into his presence. Who endures from us such rejection, such lack of love, such half-hearted discipleship. Let's give ourselves afresh to our mighty, loving Saviour-God – to be changed and made holy for him.

                                                                                              Amen.