New Testament Reading Plan: Titus 1-3
SCRIPTURE READING
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former
ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is
written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (ESV)
When we first look at this verse, it feels like God arbitrarily sets standards that are too high for
us to reach but this is not true. God makes provision for us to do what pleases Him (Grace!).
It is true that God’s standards of holiness are too high for us to reach on our own strength. His
standard of holiness is His own holiness and perfection, and none of us can get anywhere close
to achieving that sort of perfection on our own strength in this lifetime. It’s utterly impossible.
The call to holiness in the Bible is the call to the radical PURSUIT of holiness, not that you will
actually attain perfection in all of your actions, all the time, while here on earth. This is where
grace comes in. God looks down from heaven and He says “Be holy as I am holy.” And we look
up to God and we say, “But it’s impossible – we’ve got weaknesses, and strongholds and habits
and messed up thinking that keep dragging us down and tripping us up.” And God answers,
“You’re right! I’m going to have to help you meet my standards. That’s grace. God EMPOWERS
US, GIVES US HELP, and ENABLES us to do the things He’s calling us to do.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you ever thought about this definition of grace – that real grace is God empowering us
and enabling us to do the things that He’s calling us to do? How does this take the pressure
off a bit, while yet keeping the standard for holiness extremely high?
2. One of the biggest things that oppose grace is when people try to obey God and live holy
lives in their own strength. Ask the Lord to show you areas of self-reliance in your life.
Confess these areas as sin and ask Him to forgive you.
3. Pray that as a church we would learn to live fully empowered and enabled by the Holy Spirit
to live lives of righteousness and holiness. Pray that this church would truly learn to live by
grace in this way!
