Holiness - The Great Separator

Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.“

This passage of holy Scripture goes on to tell us that God’s law enables us to make a clear distinction between the unclean and the clean (aka wrong & right – holiness & unholiness). Ultimately, meaning to be set apart from sin and spiritual death unto virtue and devoted service to God as His people. Not isolated from and creating no godly influence upon the culture, the society and the world walking in darkness of sin and unbelief – engaged in the world, but of the world, but of the Kingdom of God. To be holy is to be uncommonly set apart (heart, mind, soul & spirit) by God’s sovereign authority, unto God, for God’s purposes in the world. Our Friday evening Small Group Bible Study group explored this topic.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with the devil, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

The “Fall of Mankind” in the Garden brought sin into the world, but through God’s redemption and restoration Plan of Salvation in the blessed Savior Jesus Christ that regenerated the spirit in the repentant sinner, who accepts the free gift of eternal life offered, believers are to be different from the unbelieving world around them. Salvation should result in a holy lifestyle much different from our previous unholy one. As God’s children we should reflect His character; not the devil’s, the ignorant & God-rejecting world’s or the sinful desires of the flesh’s.
1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Does our lifestyle look the same as before we cam to Christ? Or does it reflect the nature of the One who gave you new birth (John 3:3-6) and called us to be his own. It is said the God meets us where we are at, but does not keep us where we are at. Who do we belong to and who do we obey? God is holy and has called us to be holy and maintain holiness; to be a holy priestly nation to a watching world and reveal that He is God. Holiness is not something to be achieved by our strenuous efforts. It is a state already created and given by God to His sanctified, holy & blameless people, immersed in the Word of God, renewed in the spirit of your mind. Christianity is not a “DO” attitude, but a “Be” attitude that desires from the heart to please God and never let Him down. Ephesians 1:4-6 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Take faith seriously, and live life in a way (holy & fruitful) that shows that we believe in Him, in holy light of truth. Double-minded Christians (riding the fence and standing one foot in the world) have forgotten all that Christ has done for them and failed to be distinctively different from the godless world around them. The result is that the church that supposed to be salt & light to the world has been influenced by the lawless world and its secular views rather than impacting the world with the truth of God. Does the body of Christ in the church look like the culture surrounding it? Has the Church become a thermometer, measuring the temperature of the world, when we should be a thermostat, setting the temperature to holiness? Let us fix our eyes of Jesus and run the race set before us. “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.”

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Jesus Christ, who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

In Christ, Brian