What does the word holy evoke in your mind?
According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, set apart and spiritually pure are two definitions of holy.
God calls Christ followers to be holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
I hear some people express that the only difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians are forgiven. In actuality, a big difference should be the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live out Jesus’ directives and develop his heart for God and others. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be holy, set apart for the Lord God.
Hebrews 12:1b (NIV) reads, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” How do we do this? We need to daily submit to God. When we choose sin, we are being idolaters. You may wonder what the idol is. On the most basic level, it is oneself. As Christ followers, our desire should be to serve God, rather than self.
Thankfully, in God’s mercy, he forgives and knows our hearts. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NIV). John Bevere, author of Killing Kryptonite, writes, “Jesus did not die to just grant you a ticket to heaven. When he died he set you free from the power of sin and death.”
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work within us. Read Ephesians 1 and marvel at God’s love, power, and majesty! He both calls us and equips us to be set apart and spiritually pure.