In preparing sermons in my ongoing “Studies in First Peter” I found the Scottish Presbyterian Alexander Nisbet’s (1623–1669) commentary (1658) on 1 Peter 1:13–25 to be helpful and relevant to the current debate. With verse 13, Peter turns from indicative to imperative, from praise to God to exhortation to Christians. And in his comments on these verses, Nisbet lists twelve—not merely one—motivations to holiness. At a minimum this shows us that the Reformed tradition is much broader than some want to make it out to be.

Since you’re reading this online post, you’re no doubt aware that in the broad Reformed theological world recently there has been discussion of the issue of holiness. The links are too numerous so I’ll leave it to you to search. In particular, one issue is that of what motivates a Christian to pursue holiness. Oftentimes people cite the Heidelberg Catechism’s threefold “guilt, grace, gratitude” structure as the proof that gratitude is the motivation for holiness—as if the Heidelberg Catechism were an exhaustive systematic theology and not instead written to educate children and newly “Reformed” people whose prince declared them “Reformed” in a simple way.

In preparing sermons in my ongoing “Studies in First Peter” I found the Scottish Presbyterian Alexander Nisbet’s (1623–1669) commentary (1658) on 1 Peter 1:13–25 to be helpful and relevant to the current debate. With verse 13, Peter turns from indicative to imperative, from praise to God to exhortation to Christians. And in his comments on these verses, Nisbet lists twelve—not merelyone—motivations to holiness. At a minimum this shows us that the Reformed tradition is much broader than some want to make it out to be.

I’ll just list the motivations below (some are simple, some more complex), but if you’d like to follow along and read the entire section, pull up a chair and grab your Banner of Truth reprint off the shelf. The relevant pages are 34–55.

1. The consideration of our spiritual privileges by Jesus Christ. (v. 13)
2. The sweet privilege of adoption. (v. 14)
3. Since the Lord has called us from an estate of sin and wrath to a state of holiness and happiness we should walk answerably to our calling. (vv. 15–16)
4. There should be a conformity between the Lord and all his children. (vv. 15–16)