Don't hate - imitate . . .

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 (NKJV)



If I tell someone I am trying to be holy, it is sometimes (maybe most times) perceived that I am conceited, arrogant and lying. Holiness seems to be a taboo status in the church despite the fact that we are called to holiness:

"You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 19.2
"For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and shall be holy; for I am holy." Leviticus 11.44
As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
1Peter 1.15-16 (The Message)

So what does it mean to be holy? Now, in it's highest sense, only God is holy. Therefore, understand that the Scriptures say "pursue", "strive to be" and "try to be" not "become". Thus, the first understanding we should get is that God is telling us to "pursue", "strive for", "try for" the continuous, gradual change that leads toward holiness.

Holiness is further defined as the state of sanctity or consecration to God, i.e. the state of being "set apart" for His use. If we believe that God created us and were are the only beings that He blew breathe (or spirit) into, then we must believe that He created and set us apart for His use.

How do I pursue holiness? Simply by obedience. Actually, if I am obedient to God, I can't help but become holy. See, holiness is not the objective; OBEDIENCE is. The way God initially set Israel apart from everyone else was by giving them a set of laws to obey:

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession . . . a holy nation." Exodus 19.5-6

We do not become holy then begin obeying, we obey and that obedience, by design, brings about sanctification (holiness) because the law was created to set God's people apart from the world (a nation unlike the rest . . . a holy nation.)

So, if obedience brings us closer to God, disobedience separates us. Wordliness is "the love of that which one finds attractive, appealing, or desirable without a corresponding love of righteousness" (Forerunners Commentary). And we know that disobedience is of the world, not God. Of course, being of free will, God knows that the allure of the world would on occassion suck us in - that's why He gave us grace and mercy and a Savior. But it is our responsibility to not use this as a crutch but as a ladder to climb closer to God. Again, we are only commandeded to PURSUE holiness not BECOME holy. Only God can make us holy and TRUE holiness will not be reached until we are face to face with God.

I am persuaded that holiness is where I wanna be. If I'm labeled a "holy roller," "holier than thou," or anything else that says I am set apart from the world, then I know that God's work is not in vain. The first thing I want people to see is the God in me and I hope that it inspires someone else to be in pursuit of being set apart to be used by God.