“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.’”

1 Peter 1:15-16
What does it mean to be holy? Why does God require us to be holy? And how can we ever possibly become holy? The pursuit of holiness surely can feel like an uphill battle.

To define the word, we must first realize that holy means pure and set apart from everything else that is sinful and unclean. In her prayer to the Lord in 1 Samuel 2, Hannah declares that no one is holy like the Lord. And in Leviticus God tells His people that He is setting them apart from all other nations to be holy because He is holy. The Old Testament speaks often of the magnificent holiness of God.

But it’s not until we understand the gospel that we can begin to grasp what holiness really means. We must comprehend that it’s not something we achieve on our own; it must be granted. When Jesus paid the price for our sin through His death on the cross, He made us blameless and pure by giving us His perfect record of a life lived truly, 100% without sin. With this gracious gift, we humans — born sinful to the core — become what we could never have achieved on our own. God has made us holy!



Scripture Focus

Revelation 4:5-11

Insight

Have you experienced the holiness of God? Consider how the Lord is transforming your life and making you holy.

Bible In A Year

  • Numbers 3-4
  • Psalm 62
  • John 2-3

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