Tuesday

Related Verses
1 Pet. 1:15-17
15 But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all your manner of life;
16 Because it is written, “You shall be holy because I am holy.”
17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear,

Heb. 12:1-2, 9-10
1 Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us,
2 Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.
9 Furthermore we have had the fathers of our flesh as discipliners and we respected them; shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined for a few days as it seemed good to them; but He, for what is profitable that we might partake of His holiness.

Related Reading
We are holy in all our manner of life through the sanctification of the Spirit. This is based on regeneration, which brings us the holy nature of God and issues in a holy life. 

We ourselves need to be holy. This is not merely a matter of wearing a certain kind of clothing or of not wearing makeup. That concept of holiness is too outward. Our being, our disposition, our entire person, should be holy. This is for us to be holy in all our manner of life. 

God’s people should be holy because God Himself is holy.

The Holy One, who as the Father has called us, has regenerated us to produce a holy family—a holy Father with holy children. As holy children, we should walk in a holy manner of life…He begot us with life inwardly that we might have His holy nature. He disciplines us with judgment outwardly that we may partake of His holiness (Heb. 12:9-10). His judgment is according to our work, our conduct, without respect of persons…If we call Him our Father, we also should fear Him as our Judge and live a holy life in fear. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 91-92) 

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In 1 Peter 1:17 Peter “is not speaking of the final judgment of the soul…The thing spoken of here is the daily judgment of God’s government in this world, exercised with regard to His children…” (Darby). This is God’s judgment on His own household (4:17). 

First Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?” This book shows the government of God especially in relation to His dealings with His chosen people. The sufferings they undergo in fiery persecution are used by Him as a means to judge them that they may be disciplined, purified, and separated from the unbelievers and not have the same destiny as they. Hence, such disciplinary judgment begins from His own household, and it is not exercised just once or twice but is being carried out continuously until the Lord’s coming. 

[God’s] house, or household, refers to the church, composed of the believers (2:5; Heb. 3:6; 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:19). From this house, as His own house, God begins His governmental administration by God’s disciplinary judgment over His own children, that He may have strong ground to judge, in His universal kingdom, those who are disobedient to His gospel and rebellious toward His government. This is for the establishing of His kingdom, which is covered in the second book (2 Pet. 1:11). 

What we have in 1 Peter 1:17 is the daily judgment of God’s government in the world, a judgment that is exercised with regard to His children…The daily judgment of God is not exercised upon fallen sinners; instead, it is exercised upon God’s children. 

Those who oppose this teaching from the Word may say, “How is it possible for us, God’s children in grace, to be judged by God? God is our Father, and He loves us and gives us grace. How could He do something to judge us?”…On the one hand, God is gracing us to live a life that suits His righteousness under His government. On the other hand, He judges anything that does not match His government. Therefore, in this age we the believers are under the daily judgment of God. 

This kind of judgment is exercised upon us, the children of God, while we are passing the time of our sojourning on earth…The Lord’s word in John 5:22 refers to eternal judgment, to the judgment of unbelievers at the great white throne. But the judgment here is the present judgment of God upon His children, not on unbelievers. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 92, 252, 257, 268) 

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 11, 30