Holiness

…it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

(1 Peter 1:16, NKJV)

In life, we all try to be the best that we can be, few people could have set themselves to be bad people. Most of us want to be good and to be known as good by and to others.  This is a daily journey which we take as we learn what is right or wrong.  Children learn from an early age what is acceptable behaviour or not, and with the guidance of the adults they conform and adapt to the desired behaviour.  This is how we also learnt of what is good or bad and admittedly, depending on culture and values, there are some behaviours accepted as appropriate within a community or family but the same are frowned upon by other people.  Whatever the case, it is true that we tend to keep to the ethos and expectations of those that we live within, making effort to be considered valuable and accepted members of the community.  An understanding of the expectations of others in our camp, helps us know how and where to adapt.

Beloved, for believers in Jesus Christ, the word of God becomes our manual for life and behaviour.  Our reference verse is one that calls us to a very high order of holiness.  Holiness is not a word that we hear of often, it is used to refer to being “set apart”, which means a call to consecration.  The basis of this call is God’s character, He invites us to be like Him, a holy God.  This by ourselves is beyond what we can attain and yes, the bible reminds us that none of us is righteous, none by ourselves can hold on to the higher moral commitment that God expects of us.  Thankfully, the word of God acknowledges this and so Apostle Paul when writing to the Romans makes it clear that none is righteous, not one (Romans 3:10).  To emphasize this, Jesus Himself when confronted by the scribes and pharisees with a woman who was caught in adultery said, that the one without sin should cast the first stone (John 8:7).   The accusers recognized that they too were sinners and so they walked away quietly, each reflecting on their lives.  This is the state of our hearts, we must get to the point where we all accept that we are sinners in need of God’s mercies. 

My beloved, despite knowing our inadequacies, God still calls us to holiness and this makes us know that He has a plan of making us holy by His mercies.  When the blood of Jesus was shed, that was God’s route to our salvation and holiness.  By accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and allowing Him to cleanse us, we become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  God in His love for us, made Jesus who had no sin to become sin on our behave and in turn, we become His righteousness.  Beloved, this is beyond our human understanding, a good, merciful and holy God reaching out to a fallen creation with the goal of making them righteous, so that they can connect with Him.  We get to be righteous not because of what we can do or have done but because of what He has done for us.  Apostle Paul calls on us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).  Our walk of faith and to the holiness stature of God is a journey that we deliberately commit to.  God has given His Holy Spirit to help us and as we follow Him, we move from one level of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).  It is not a sprint but a journey with levels of growth, we are changed and made more like our God as we move in faith from one level to another.  It is a journey backed by the will and heart of God Himself, who transforms us step by step to His likeness.  God desires that we are perfected to be like Him, His mirror-image and thankfully, we have His assurance that He will complete the work that He has begun in our lives (Philippians 1:6).  His desire for our holiness is backed by His character of faithfulness, may we lean in to holiness by His grace.

Thoughts:

What does “holiness” mean to you?

How has the Holy Spirit helped you transform to Christ’s likeness?

Which areas do you still need to work on with the Holy Spirit?