How Should We Behave?

II Peter 3:11-12.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Here’s my own version of these verses: “Since we know that God will melt the heavens and the earth with an intense heat, how should we behave? We should live in holy behavior and show godliness to all those around us. We should look forward to the Day of the Lord when He will destroy this earth and the heavens, knowing that He will create a new heaven and a new earth. “

The word conversation in the KJV Elizabethan English means “manner of behavior.” It includes our words, of course, but is not limited just to our words. All of our behavior should be to show honor to the Lord. We are to live holy lives because He is holy and cannot look on sin.

I want to say here that living holy lives does NOT mean that we are to be busy making rules for each other regarding dress, hair, makeup, jewelry, and so forth. We are not given the right to examine what other people watch, or listen to or read until or unless such things create conflict within the church. Then, it is to be handled with love, not judgment. The goal of dealing with sin in someone else’s life is to restore that person, not to berate him. When it is done according to Matthew 18:15-18, church discipline has the ultimate goal of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. You can read my comments on v. 18 at this link: https://lindasbiblestudy.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/bind-and-loose/

Living a holy life is to live as free from sin as possible. I believe that when we are faithfully in God’s Word, faithful in prayer, that the Holy Spirit will prompt us when our behaviors are unholy. If we are constantly watching others to make sure they are following the “rules,” we are doing so from a self-righteous, pharisaical perspective.