Be Holy

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" 1 Peter 1:14-16 & Leviticus 11:44.

All through the book of Exodus God speaks of things as holy. The ground where Moses was standing, the garments for the priests, the utensils and altar for the Tent of Meeting, the incense...everything connected with the worship of God was called holy by God. Then we get to Leviticus 10:3 where God says, "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy." Then we get to Leviticus 11:44 and He tells the people they are to be holy.

So I decided to look up the definition of holy. I have always heard it means set apart to God but I don't think I have ever actually looked it up. The definitions I found are 1. dedicated to religious use; belonging to or coming from God; consecrated; sacred  2. spiritually perfect or pure; untainted by evil or sin; sinless; saintly  3. regarded with or deserving deep respect, awe, reverence, or adoration.

So what does it mean for me to be holy? Certainly number 3 is out. I don't deserve any awe, reverence or adoration. Number 1 seems to fit me...belonging to God because I am His child through my faith in Jesus Christ. Number 2 at first seemed to apply only to God. Certainly in my own strength or even in my own mind, I am not spiritually perfect or pure, untainted by evil or sin, sinless, saintly. But as I thought about it I began to think about how God views me as clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Because of Christ, I am sinless in the eyes of my God and Father. He knows all things but chooses not to remember my sin.

Help me, Lord, to be holy in my words, my actions and my thoughts; all my conduct. Cause Your Spirit to make me more and more sensitive to the unholy things that are present in my life so I can repent and bring glory to Your name in all things at all times.