God calls us to be holy as He is holy. This means we are to aspire to holiness. We are to aim in the direction of holiness. Once we are born again spiritually by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing God raised Him from the dead, we begin the process of becoming holy. We are newborn babes spiritually, and now we begin the process of growing up. We were created in God’s image, and now we grow up in His image. God is holy, and we are supposed to become holy.
But how? By renewing our minds through study of God’s Word and learning to walk in God’s ways rather than our own old ways. We learn to put off our ungodly thoughts and actions, and to take on godliness. We learn to live the lives He has called us to live – with the Lord, His Word, and holiness at the forefront of our minds. When we are born into this world, we are born into sin and learn to live according to the world’s unholy ways. When we are born again spiritually by being remorseful over our sins and believing Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for our sins, our standards change. No longer do we live in the image of the unholy world. We now learn to live in God’s holy image. We should now have a new, and holy, standard.
What does God’s holy standard look like? There is one full proof way to find out. We study the Bible to learn who God is, what He has done, what He continues to do, what He will do, and what He desires of us. We learn of His holiness, and He teaches us in His Word how to make the necessary changes in our lives so we can be the sons and daughters of God He created us to be. Holy, as He is.
As the world spirals ever further out of control, ever worsening in its standards and ways, we train our minds to look to God and His Word rather than the world. We set our eyes upon the Lord, and we look to His Word to become like He is. Holy.
Here are some practical examples. When the world teaches us to hate those who hate us, the Word teaches us to love. When the world teaches us to seek vengeance, the Word teaches us to forgive. When the world teaches us to live our lives revolved around ourselves, the Word teaches us to live our lives revolved around the Lord. When the world teaches us to hurt someone, the Word teaches us to help someone. When the world teaches us to turn our back on someone in need, the Word teaches us to reach out and help that person. When the Word teaches us to store up riches on earth to bring us pleasure, the Word teaches us to store up treasures in heaven and to use our earthly riches to give unto others.
Do we do any and all of this perfectly? We do not. But this is not to be an excuse not to do all that we can in our hearts and our lives to become holy. We do not try to be holy to earn God’s love and to earn our way to heaven. God already loves us, and the only way to heaven is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord who died on the cross for us and whom God raised from the dead. But because of God’s love for us, because Jesus died on the cross for us, and because of our spiritual new birth and salvation through Christ’s finished work on the cross, we should want to live for the Lord – to be pleasing to Him, to be holy as He is holy.
Are you holy? How would you answer this question? I know how I would. I love the Lord with all my heart and mind, and I desire to be holy and to grow as long as I am on this earth in His image. I humbly confess I am as far from holiness as imaginable, considering the image in which I grow, but I have come a long way from where I started. And by His grace alone, by His power and in His love, according to His Word, and for His glory, I am headed in the right direction. I have never known anyone to start off as far away from holiness as I did. I thank God that I am not where I was. And though I am not where I long ultimately to be, I know I am at last well on the way.
Are you holy? Headed in the right direction? Don’t know where to begin? Didn’t know you’re called to be holy? Spent years already heading down the pathway to holiness? Wherever you are on your journey, may this very day for you be a new beginning. Purpose it in your heart to not look like the world around you. Make the commitment to become like Him. Holy. For whose glory? Not for mine. Not for yours. For His.The Lord. For He is holy.
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16 KJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2 KJV
1 Comment
I haven’t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend