“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
In the Old Testament times, God provided specific ways for His people to set themselves apart. Through much of the Pentateuch, particularly Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, God takes the ragtag people of Israel…a people who have been slaves for over 400 years…and makes them into a nation where He can show others that He is the One True God, infinitely more powerful than any god made of wood or stone. He sets Israel apart for His purpose by giving them a very specific, and very lengthy, list of rules about how to live, what to eat, what to wear, how to worship…and the list goes on. It was long, but it was necessary if they were to live in such close proximity to a Holy God:
I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy ( Leviticus 11:44-45).
Eventually, the nation of Israel worshipped at a Temple where God dwelt under the conditions of the Old Covenant.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we live under the New Covenant. Jesus died in our place and took our sin upon Himself, and so now we ARE the temple where God’s Holy Spirit dwells. The deepest, most real part of who we are IS holy…because of Christ: If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches (Romans 11:16).
However, we are also, at the same time, being MADE holy in our hearts and habits …by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace(2 Timothy 1: 8b-9a).
Paul says we are “called”, which means we have a huge part to “do” in the endeavor of living a holy life. That may sound legalistic, or like trying to earn salvation, but in reality, it is not.
Even the things we “do” are by God’s grace, but He has given us a free choice to live His way or not.
We make choices, every day, for Him or for ourselves. He promises that if we will choose to turn our will His way, He will provide the power we need to carry out what He asks. Jerry Bridges’s book “The Pursuit of Holiness” goes into depth on this topic, and I highly recommend it.
For our purposes here, I wanted to share three ways I, personally, pursue this holy (or set-apart) life to which God calls us.
1. I guard my eyes.
I steer clear of movies that are R-rated, or any TV shows for “mature” audiences. I find they fill my mind with images and ideas I don’t need to think about. They take up precious space that God wants to fill with Himself and His thoughts. With that said, I have seen incredibly difficult things on a recent mission trip, so, this is not about avoiding real life. This is about choosing not to watch things that have nothing to do with God’s purposes. As a wise person once said, “Garbage in, garbage in.” No, that’s not a typo. In my experience, whatever I see gets inside and tends to stay there!
2. I practice gratitude.
When something goes wrong, (most of the time) I thank Him and declare my trust in Him, no matter how I feel. As Joni Erikson Tada says, “God does not ask us to “be thankful”, He commands us to give thanks”. These are two very, very different things. Being thankful requires feeling thankful. Giving thanks requires trust that the feelings will follow because God is with us.
3. I start (almost) every day with Him.
There is no “holy life” without a thriving connection to Author and Source of all Holiness. God IS our strength. He IS our hope. Our Joy. Our Peace. Without Him and time spent in His Word and prayer, there is no “holy” for the holy life. He’s the beginning and the end of it. As we spend time with Him, we are changed. As we read His Word and pray, we are strengthened to walk through the day as a humble warrior for His Name. We are given wisdom that no man could come up with on his best day. Best of all, we get to be with Him! To love and be loved by the One who is Love itself, the Only One who loves perfectly and never fails.
As you look at this list, please do not see it as a “to-do”, because it’s not. Your list may look different, depending on where God has called you and how you are wired. These things serve as reminders to me that I am part of “…a chosen people, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, so that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9
In biblical times, the people were attracted to Jesus, and the Bible clearly tells us that it was not because of His physical appearance.
When we are motivated to live a holy life because we love God, people are attracted to us. Not in a “that person is so cool and popular” kind of way, but in a “I don’t know, there’s just something about so and so” kind of way. Pursuing holiness makes us like Jesus, and people couldn’t resist Jesus, even if they didn’t agree with Him.
Holiness does not mean we are perfect. It means we are a set-apart people completely dependent on the grace of God…a God who loved us so much that He died for us and then sent His Holy Spirit to live in us so He could be with us all the time.
How amazing is that!
What about you? What do you do to purposely and intentionally cultivate a holy life? What specific ways does God want you to be set apart for His purposes?
Prayer
Father, thank You first for Your incredible love for us! We are so privileged to be a part of Your Great Plan of Redemption. Make us yearn for more of You, and to be more like You. Show us how to live this holy life to which You call us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
