Be Holy, for I am Holy
I Peter 1:13-16
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
I Peter 1:13-16
We make the mistake of making God first in our hearts.
Let me explain.
We put the Creator, the Father,The Beginning and the End,the Alpha and Omega,The Great I AM in a category!
It is because we cannot totally understand His Holiness.
When we do this, it means that He is categorizable.That somehow we think we can put Him in a box and category and give Him a number.
So if we make God number one in our lives then that means that He can be number 2, 3, 4 or 30! There is always something waiting to take His place at the number one spot!
We have to learn what Holiness is. When we don’t understand the Holiness of God then we all have the potential to put something else in the number 1 position of our hearts.
This happens all the time, even if we don’t realize it or admit it.
God isn’t number one, He is Holy! There is nothing or no one that comes close to Him and His character. Nothing has the power or the potential to take Him off His Throne, ever!
Instead of seeing Him as number one, we have to see Him as the center of everything. He is the center of everything that all of Creation flows from!
He is the standard, the One that is Holy!
There are few that know what it is to be Holy, muchless live it.
Many churches do not teach about holiness. Not just the holiness of God but the call for us to be Holy.
Once we have committed our lives to Christ this is part of the requirements.
“Be Holy as I am Holy”!
It says Holy not perfect!
Holy means is to be set apart. Set apart in our thinking, in our actions. We are called to a different standard, not be of this world! We are called to put on the mind of Christ. We are called to be His representatives. How can we be a representation of Christ if there is no Holiness in us?
The root to the definition is to cut.
Cut and separate.To be cut, then to be separated.
Think of a knife and cutting vegetables. We use only one knife to cut and once we chop we use the same knife to push aside what has been cut off.
We cut then separate.
This is what being Holy as I am Holy is. Allowing God to cut and separate anything in us that’s not of Him.
God wants to make us Holy!
Why is this so important?
This is how loving He is.
There is nothing that is good enough to be in His Holy presence because of sin. He knows this.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Whoever believes in Him will be saved!
The reason He does this is so we can partake in His Holiness.
The Father wants His children to be able to be in His presence.
The only way to do that is to be made Holy.
We are called to be Holy.
This is what holiness looks like;
They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 37:23 NKJV
Holiness is not just having perfect morality. It’s not being perfect in speech,thought or action.
Holiness is something that we have to allow the Lord to work in all of us! Allowing Him to deliver us through the Cross of Jesus. Putting away all the things that we have defiled ourselves with. Then allowing the Shed Blood of His Son Jesus Christ to cleanse our sins and transgressions.
We are imperfect humans that have a tendency to sin. So how can we be Holy as He is Holy?
Sanctification.
This is the action of making or declaring something to be Holy!
It is being set apart to be used for the purpose of God’s Kingdom’s purpose!
Holiness is not contagious.
We have to purpose ourselves to allow the Holy Spirit to search, cut and separate in us what needs to be cut and separated!
Holiness is not going to Church. Holiness is not being involved in the church. It’s not giving money to the church. We can even be on the staff of a church, or even the pastor and that still does not make you Holy!
Being Holy is the continuous process of being set apart, cut and separated from the world. Everyday we should be a little more holy than yesterday. Not because of what we do but what Jesus does.
We will be perfectly Holy once we are in the Presence of a Holy God that isn’t number one but the center. Then we will understand what being Holy truly means!
Ponder today.
Ask yourself these questions.
How does the Holiness of God reflect you?
How do you reflect the Holiness of God?
Is God number one of your heart, or is He the center of your life!
He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Father, separate me from the things that separate me from You.
Set me apart and make me Holy!
Pastor Ed