So prepare your minds for service and have self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ is shown to you. Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

Holiness includes a strong, complete and never failing hope. Hope is secure, because it’s rooted in the unchangeable nature of God. The hope Jesus provides is available for everyone, but not everyone takes hold of it. With the hope of eternal life—life with God—comes the desire to live by God’s purpose, the desire to live a holy life on earth.

Holiness includes obedience to God’s commands and will.

So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

What patterns of living have you changed as you have grown spiritually?

What patterns should you now change to continue to grow?

Live a life that reflects the holiness we find in Jesus.