When my husband was little he used to travel to another state to see his grandmother. This particular grandmother was his “Hanny”. In Hanny’s house was a certain room that was off limits. It was right after you got into the house and off to the right. It was a formal living room. This room had pristine furniture, clean carpets with the vacuum marks perpetually on them as if it were just cleaned. There was a glass case of porcelain dolls and other breakable things. This room was reserved for when special guests came over and they wanted to entertain. It was off limits at all other times, especially for kids. Did your grandparents or parents have a room like this?
In 1 Peter 1:16 it says “you shall be holy, for I am holy”. This verse is a reference to God speaking to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:2 when he is giving them instructions. And if you have ever read parts of the Old Testament, you know there were a LOT of instructions for keeping things clean and holy.
Just like the room in Hanny’s house was set apart for a special purpose, God was telling the Israelites, and then the Gentiles who were Christians, that we should be set apart - or holy - in this world.
So what does it mean to be holy today? We aren’t under the law like the Israelites were, but we still have commands to follow. The first step in being holy is following Christ. When you make Him your savior and Lord, you are taking a step into holiness. You are saying that you want to step into a different role in the world. Once you have done this, it is a matter of decisions.
We make thousands of decisions a day. From what time to get out of bed all the way to what time we will lay down and close our eyes to sleep. But I’m not talking about bedtime decisions. I am talking about those decisions that make us followers of Christ. Will we study His word today? Will we pray? Will we act kindly even though someone treats us poorly? Will we use clean language and speak of things that are pure and good? Will we be honest even when it is hard? Will we choose peace? Will we share the Gospel with someone who may not know Jesus? All of these (and more) are the types of things that someone who is striving for holiness would do.
It doesn’t come naturally to us. It is a struggle we face every day as we war with our fleshly side. But we can win the battle over and over with practice and mindset.
But what happens if I fail? Good news! We all have done it. We aren’t perfect. The only person who ever successfully walked this earth and was holy - truly holy - is Jesus. (But I bet you guessed that.) We aren’t going to be completely successful, but we are still called to try. The blood of Jesus washes us clean over and over and over. Therefore, in Him, we are found to be holy.
Just like that room at Hanny’s house, we have to tell ourselves that certain things are off limits to us. Things that soil the mind and distract us from God. Through study of the Word and time spent in prayer we will find this “setting apart” easier most days. And when you struggle, don’t slop around by yourself. Reach out to brothers and sisters in Christ and ask them to intercede for you and support you. That is one thing the body of Christ is for!
Holiness is not perfection, but rather saying that your purpose on this planet is for bringing God glory. Strive for it daily and see how it changes your whole outlook on life and others.
Lord, we want to be holy like you, but it is so hard with all the distractions here on earth. Help us to be focused on you and your will for our lives. Help us strive toward heaven and keep our eyes fixed there so we can imitate you here daily. Amen.
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
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