God Calls Us To Holiness

We all know God is holy; He is totally set apart from everything else. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You, O God (1 Samuel 2:2). His name is holy and awe-inspiring (Psalm 111:9). Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy (Psalm 99:9). You are to regard only the Lord of Hosts as holy; only He should be feared; only He should be held in awe (Isaiah 8:13). The holy God [of the old and new Israel] is distinguished by righteousness (Isaiah 5:16).

Jesus, too, is called holy: The Holy One (Luke 1:35); Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14); Holy Servant (Acts 4:27,30). Jesus is our High Priest, our Commander, our Role Model in this life of absolute surrender. For He is the kind of High Priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26).

In his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, Jeff Bridges points out a very intriguing point:

Any farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest.  Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer.  The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do.  The pursuit of holiness is also a joint venture between God and the Christian.  God has made it possible for us to walk in holiness, but He has given us the responsibility of doing the walking.

So we are to rely on His work in us to teach us how to walk in holiness and to live a holy life. And we do this to please Him because we owe Him so much gratitude and praise, and because we have surrendered our life to Him and He cannot accept any sinful thing. Our duty then is to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and live a sanctified and holy life.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct (1 Peter 1:14-15). For this is God’s will, your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). You took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires, and you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new man, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth (Ephesians 4:22-24). For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are scattered and demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of the nations (Ezekiel 28:25), when I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the countries of their enemies, I will demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of many nations (Ezekiel 39:27). They will honor My holiness and stand in awe of the God of Israel (Isaiah 29:23). I will show My holiness to those who are near Me (Leviticus 10:3).

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness for us is not an option, but a command.