“Be holy even as I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16
The Lord has been highlighting holiness to me for the last few weeks, so that’s why I felt encouraged to write on it this week.
2 Peter 1:3 tells us “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
Through knowing him is the key here. Knowing Jesus means knowing his word for he is the Word (John 1) . So to know his word is how we attain all we need for living a Godly life. And too, knowing his word will give a clear picture of what a Godly life is! Let’s talk holiness.
Holy means to be set apart unto God. I feel like people tend to elevate holiness to a divine place that you have to almost have divinity to achieve it. But when you look at what holiness really means, then it brings it to an attainable place.
To be set apart unto God. What does that look like? “Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.””
2 Corinthians 6:17 This verse appears more than once in the Bible. When it bears repeating in the Word, then it bears attention, right? I think so! The thing to really pay attention to is that it says “be separate”, “be holy”. It doesn’t say do separate, do holy. See the difference?
We know from James that faith without works is dead, so we need to take action on our faith. But don’t confuse that with your being. Being set apart from the world refers to location. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean geographic location, although it can at times. Let’s take the physical location first. Do you hang out at bars? Do you visit adult book stores? Do you spend time at friends houses where illegal activity is taking place? That’s not being set apart. Those examples lead to the next location.
The location of the heart. If you are going places like I mentioned then what’s your motivation for being there? Locating your heart is fairly simple. Look at what your desiring? Are you desiring to be a part of the crowd? To know what’s happening and always experience the next fun thing? Do you feel like you’ll miss something if you decline your friends invitations? That shows the location of your heart.
What about the location of your eyes and ears? Now, what I’m about to discuss can get a little touchy for people and all I have to say to touchiness is “love takes no offense” (1 Cor. 13). People tend to have challenges with locating their eyes and ears because they don’t want to know whether what they are looking at and hearing are healthy or not. Ignorance is bliss. WRONG! Ignorance is foolishness. If your looking at violence and nudity, if your hearing profanity and coarse joking, your location is off.
“Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil— ” Isaiah 33:15
We were made holy by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 13:12) and it’s our job to make sure our life reflects that which we’ve been given. He said “be holy, even as I am holy.” “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Ephesians 5:3-4
Realize where you’re located and identify if it looks holy. If it doesn’t look holy relocate. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 If you don’t want to see the Lord then stay where your at, keep watching what you’re watching and listening to what you’re listening to. Keep hanging out in places where darkness hides and look just like everyone else. BUT, if you want to obey, if you want to see the Creator of the heavens and earth, then relocate.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
When your heart is in the right place your body will follow and holiness will be the destination.
The W.O.R.D. 