1 Peter 1:15-16 KJV – “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
Because of the degradation of our society and moral values, the word holiness sounds archaic, even puritanical, to our ears. The world is naturally directed toward destruction, and those following its path are racing headlong toward spiritual death. Uninformed, unaware, and deceived, they hurry through life on a road going nowhere, to an end they don’t believe exists. That is the condition Jesus delivered us from, and now, through Christ, God has declared us holy.
The New Testament word for “holy” is hagios, which means “set apart.” A set-apart believer no longer blends in with the crowd they once ran with. A powerful new reality has taken hold that is evident to all.
You might protest, “Holy? Me? I still feel sin’s tug in my life!” I do, too. But make no mistake, all those who enter heaven will be perfectly holy and sinless. In heaven, the sinful nature that plagues us today is forever banished. Think of it. Not only will the desire to sin not enter our hearts and minds, but the blood of the Lamb will have erased even the possibility of it.
Though our arrival in heaven is yet future, we must do what God has called us to today—live holy lives by living according to His Word. Will you agree that our conduct, more than our words, is the best testimony of our new life in Christ? If so, let’s walk with Him, separated and holy, glorifying Him now and forever.
