Both these passages are written to professing believers, not to humanity at large.
1 Thessalonians 4:3,7-8, 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification.7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Sanctified or Sanctification= hagiazo, hag-ee-ad’-zo, is the Greek word and means: To set apart as holy, to purify, or consecrate.
1 Peter 1:14-16, 14 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.”
In a post-modern age as ours, and the Christian Church living and looking much more like the world and much less like Jesus Christ, very seldom do we hear church leaders challenging their church members to pursue holiness as you follow the Holy Son of God. However, in both of these passages, we are being commanded to be holy, just as God Himself is Holy. Now then, professing Christians can spew from their mouths until the end of time, that God is love, and that He is, but in the Scriptures, the attribute of God’s Holiness is the overarching theme of His character. We never find the Bible saying, “God is love, love, love,” but, it says, “God is Holy, Holy, Holy.” So holy is God that He cannot look upon sin, nor does He simply look the other way or sweep it under the rug. But, this Holy God will judge sin fully and finally at the end of the age. Remember Christian, the first time Jesus came He brought forgiveness, the second time He comes bringing judgement, and it’s a judgement on all unrighteousness and ungodliness.
So, why does God demand that His people be holy? Because they are His representatives on the earth and they are to represent Him correctly. So, if our gospel is one of love, acceptance, and tolerance, that winks at the sins of our fellow man, that is man’s gospel, not the gospel of Jesus Christ. For true love always warns those who are in danger of the coming judgement of Christ. True love always calls out the false teachers and false believers that have made a mockery of the Holy God and His word, through their false doctrines.
For the Lord will not be mocked. So, I appeal to you brothers and sisters, view God in His proper light, for He is perfectly holy and should be honored and worshipped as such. We have got to learn to hate what God hates (sin), and love what He loves, and God loves holiness, for He cannot deny Himself, so pursue it with all your strength, for it is found only in following Jesus as He is found in His word.
In Him,
Dan Rodgers