“For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
Leviticus 11:45
In the Old Testament, one of the first principles God taught His people was holiness. He wanted them to be obviously different than other nations—not only in their faith, but also in their behaviour, dress, diet, and customs. Today, God wants us to be holy, too. Although we don’t have to follow Old Testament laws, God wants us to be set apart for Him.
Have you ever wondered, “Why does God want us to be holy?”
1. Because holiness is necessary to know Him.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
Hebrews 12:14
When you accepted Jesus as your Saviour, you were born into God’s family. However, you are just starting to know God.
One of the primary truths about God is that He is holy. This means that He is pure, distinct, and totally separate from any evil.
To grow closer to God, you need to give up sin. If you want His direction, you need to live in obedience. And you need to seek Him with a pure heart. That way, you can truly know God and fellowship with Him.
God wants you to be holy so you can know Him.
2. Because He bought us with His blood.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Romans 12:1
If you have believed on Jesus as your Saviour, He purchased you with His precious blood. He gave up everything for you. Is it too much to ask you to live a holy life?
According to Paul, living for Jesus is “your reasonable service.” It’s not too difficult or too much to ask. Will it be hard sometimes? Yes. Will He help you every step of the way? Of course!
God wants you to be holy because you’re His child.
3. Because holiness reflects His glory.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, na holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;”
1 Peter 2:9
As a Christian, your behaviour reflects on your Father in Heaven. If you dress, walk, and talk just like your unsaved neighbour, why would he think your faith actually makes a difference in your life?
Being a Christian isn’t just something we take out of the suit bag on Sundays. It should be a daily lifestyle of obeying God.
At the local church’s prison ministry, we want to obey God every day of the week!
No, we aren’t perfect. But we should be growing more and more like Jesus. This means loving what He loves and hating what He hates. It means speaking the truth at all times. It means saying no to temptation and yes to obeying God.
When we pursue holiness in everyday life, we honour God and attract others to Him. Now that’s a goal worth shooting for!
What About You?
Are you seeking to live a holy life? Which of these ideas do you most need to work on? Join us at the local church’s prison ministries to learn more about being holy!
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Are you searching? Jesus has the answers for addictions and stubborn habits. For more information, send the Crossmans a private message here on Facebook or come to a church service at Prince Albert Baptist Church. Take the first step in a walk of freedom!
For more information, call (306) 940-9554 or email anchorofhopeheb@gmail.com
