Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
“Holy” is one of those words that gets thrown about, but its meaning is often ambiguous. Dictionary.com defines “holy” in several ways:
Holy can mean “specially recognized as sacred by religious use or authority“. It can mean “dedicated or devoted to the service of God“. It can be defined as “spiritually pure” or “entitled to worship” or just plain “religious“. One definition says, “inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress” (as in holy terror), and yet another says, “expresses surprise, bewilderment, or wonder” (as in holy cow 🐄). Synonyms include: divine, hallowed, pure, revered, and spiritual.
One of God’s attributes is holiness, and I can certainly see how some of these definitions apply. By definition, God is the ultimate religious authority, and as such is of course, sacred. He is definitely spiritually pure – untouched by sin, and He is certainly entitled to be worshiped. He should even inspire awe and wonder.
God is holy – I don’t know many people who would dispute that, but the affirmation/prayer point we are discussing today doesn’t state the obvious “God is holy”. It has the audacity to say “I am holy…and set apart”. Before you accuse me of egomania, let’s unpack this statement and see how it flows into a prayer request.
There are many references in the Bible that address the holiness of God’s people:
Ephesians 5:27 and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or blemish, but holy and blameless.
Hebrews 10:14 For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Leviticus 11:44a I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Colossians 1:22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation –
We don’t make ourselves holy. That was the work of Christ on the cross for all those who believe. If you belong to Jesus – you are holy, period, end of story. Ephesians 1:4 says: For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
What does a holy life look like?
The Bible has some things to say about that too:
1Peter 1:15-16 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.”
1Peter 2:9 (NLT) But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
1Thessalonians 4:7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Wait a minute…my life doesn’t always reflect those qualities. I can be demanding, rude, prideful, forceful, and impatient (sometimes all of the above before noon on a bad day)! Does that mean I am not holy?
Nothing we do can negate what Jesus has done. Remember we have been set apart from the world to show others the goodness of God. Colossians 1:23 addresses this: – If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
We don’t work for holiness; Christ did that for us, but we should work from holiness, as it is, according to Scripture, an attribute that has been imparted to us.
We will never get it perfectly right this side of heaven, but the Holy Spirit is with us to lead us in that direction – if we will let Him. So I pray:
Abba, Your word says You chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in Your eyes. You, dear Father, are perfect in holiness, and my finite mind has difficulty understanding what that means. I do know that I don’t feel holy, and I am certainly not perfect. But through faith in Jesus, I have been set apart for You. Help me to live a life set apart from the culture that surrounds me, so that I may live in a way that glorifies You. Thank You that our relationship is not dependent on my performance, but instead on the perfect work of Christ. Help me to remember who I am as a Christ follower and to live out that identity with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.