Let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life,
a life energetic and blazing with holiness.
God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
1 Peter 1: 15,16, MSG
These verses from 1 Peter have always intrigued, challenged, worried my brain. Especially God exhorting us to be holy, like He is holy. What, exactly, does that entail? How are we to even think about being ‘holy’ like He is holy? (and if I’m honest, ‘holy’ rings religious, dull, boring, life-less even – or is that just my upbringing talking?) Is it possible? Isn’t it just an exercise in utter frustration? But then, this is God talking. He is the One telling us this is what we He expects. And if He commands it, then . . . Often, I think of the inane expression, “You can’t get there from here.” And if I linger long enough on that, I come up with an excuse (or two or three) to abandon all efforts in that direction. But still the words light up in my head as I try to sleep.
Eugene Peterson’s translation is vibrating, magnetic. I especially love his choice of words: a life energetic and blazing with holiness. Those words have bounce! They are italic. They sizzle with bonfire crackle and snap, warming those gathered and suggesting that the fire is its own goal. The fire celebrates its ‘life’ in its flames! (I need a rest after that paragraph!)
So, again, to the phrase ‘a life energetic.’ In our Western world, a huge sum of money is expended every year on pharmaceuticals’ offerings to keep people dosed with ‘energy.’ Workout plans and specials diets abound. Gyms and sports facilities teem with energy-focused individuals. Amateur and professional sports provide pseudo-exercise for a vast crowd of screaming, fist-bumping, couch potatoes. But is this energetic as God is energetic? Is this the kind of fulfillment He is calling us to? Or, as one might suspect, is there more?
And then, ‘blazing with holiness.’ This doesn’t sound drab or lifeless or milquetoast. It speaks to me of someone whose presence is unmistakable, someone who radiates, who has an unmistakable aura, who exudes a charisma that is exciting, attractive. Sounds just like Jesus, doesn’t it? And since Jesus was just like the Father, a ‘spittin’ image,’ a chip off the ole block, that gives a better clue about what holiness really is, and not the ‘caught not taught’ version we may have grown up to understand.
Hey, you know what? I think y’all are well on the way! To varying degrees, I see this in you. We all, from time to time, need more fuel for our blaze. We all need to be watched, to keep us within safe boundaries, to protect us from hurting ourselves or others. As it’s been said, ‘we’re not what we will be, but we’re not what we once were.’ (I think Paul said something like that.) The bottom line is that God has a thrilling idea for us. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, it is truly imaginable. Let’s start where we are (and not where we aren’t). PD
