"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy". Leviticus 19:2
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine". Leviticus. 20:26
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15
Some of us are old enough to remember the clap on clap off commercials, where the person lying in bed claps their hands to turn off the lights and then claps them again to turn the lights on. With our world seemingly spiraling out of control into an abyss of cultural and political decline into insanity. Degradation, degeneracy, and destruction is rampant, and the indoctrination and abuse of children is so detestable as to be nothing short of demonic.
We wish we could just clap our hands and put things back, even to just the reasonable human disorder of just a few decades ago. Today, those days would appear almost like heaven on earth by comparison to what we are seeing now.
The degree of sin and wickedness seems to be spreading wider and faster and more boldly before our eyes daily. And we feel, too often, powerless to stop it. Those on the front lines of exposing this evil are being targeted, ridiculed, censored, and persecuted in unprecedented ways.
Nevertheless, in the midst of all this, the call of our Father, God to all of us, (all who name the name of Christ as Savior and Lord by the unction of the Holy Spirit and His Word), is to be Holy.
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15
Most people would acknowledge that to be holy is to be morally and ethically upright and pure. However, fundamentally, holiness is much more than that. It is to be set apart for the exclusive use of God.
Holy vessels are not holy because they are morally upright, but they are holy because they are set apart exclusively for God's use and purposes. As a Holy people we are commanded to be instruments exclusively set apart for GOD'S use, for His higher purposes only.
"And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." Exodus19:6
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light..." 1 Peter 2:9
Holiness is both internal and externally expressed. God expressly set apart one in seven days as a Sabbath, a Holy Day of Rest.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8
Yes, even the act of rest from regular labor is a holy thing to God and therefore it should be holy to us. Everything about our life as holy people, should reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Now, that truth requires some thought and meditation. Wait a minute! SELAH! Pause! Think about that for a minute...or two...or three...!! Everything? Everything about us is to be expressed in holiness? We're not just commanded to be holy in church or when we are around other Christians? You mean we ae supposed to express our holiness in the world so people can hear and see the Holiness of God in us? Whoa!!! Who can possibly do that?
Yes!! But take heart! God knew when He gave the law and called us to that higher calling that we, by our human agency alone, would be totally incapable of achieving it. So, that is why He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, and in us, to guide, teach, and direct us in the way we should go. But He even went further, by placing His power in us to fill our hearts with His love so that we not only want to do what is Holy, but that we also do what is holy.
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."Philippians 2:13
That is vital to understand. Otherwise, we will fall prey to the condemnation of the enemy who only wants to steal our faith with his lies, kill our zeal (desire) for righteousness with his false promises, and destroy us from within with the poison of self-sufficiency, where there is no need for God. By all these he attempts to corrupt us through our thoughts and our actions.
But he has no claim on us now and not ever, because Jesus has paid the sin price for us, on the cross. But people are destroyed for lack of knowledge of the truth.
God will condemn no one to hell in ignorance, But those who hear His Word, even see the evidence of His presence in their own lives and in the lives and the preaching of countless numbers of men and women of faith, yet still choose to deny God's work of grace, going on instead in their prideful, arrogant, and unrepentant ways of life, choosing rather to live in the darkness of evil than to walk in the light of His mercy, forgiveness, grace and love, will receive the reward for their choice which is death.
But the humble soul who puts his trust, all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength to the pursuit of holiness, will manifest the life of holiness and embrace the exclusivity of their calling to worship God the Father and serve Him only, they shall be holy.
"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord..." Hebrews 12:14