A Call to a Holy Life | 1 Peter 1: 13-15 | Oshkosh | October 04, 2026

The message “A Call to Holy Living” teaches that holiness is not about earning salvation, following legalistic rules, or achieving perfection; rather, it is the natural response to the grace and salvation God has already given us. Peter calls believers to prepare their minds, exercise self-control, reject their former sinful ways, and live in a way that reflects the character of the holy God to whom they belong. Holiness begins with the mind and involves allowing God to transform our desires, attitudes, relationships, decisions, and actions. Through Christ, believers have been given a new identity and are no longer slaves to sin, although they will still experience struggles and failures. The goal is not sinless perfection but an increasingly Christlike direction through repentance, growth, discipline, and surrender. Grace does not give us permission to remain unchanged; instead, grace empowers us to live differently. Because we belong to Jesus, we are called to offer every part of our lives to Him—not because we need to earn His love or salvation, but because we get to experience the good things He produces in us, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Holy living ultimately means becoming who God has already declared us to be: His children, set apart for Him, and increasingly transformed to reflect His character.