Called To Holiness
Holiness is all over the Old Testament - the word “holy” appears 850 times - almost once per chapter! God was always telling His people – I have called you to be holy. And all the rules and laws in those books were designed for this purpose, to separate God’s people from the rest of the world by giving them the same values as God.
Embracing Holiness: The Call to a Christlike Life
Holiness is all over the New Testament too:
- 1 Corinthians 1:2 - “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
- 2 Timothy 1:8 - “He has saved us and called us to a holy life.”
- Hebrews 12:14 - “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
- 1 Peter 1:14-16 - “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 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.”
- 2 Peter 3:11 - “You ought to live holy and godly lives.”
We are called to holiness! Called to lives filled with love and free from sin. We should be defined by our Christlike holiness in every aspect of our lives; that’s how the early church defined themselves.
Yet, for many of us, the word “holy” is not one we want to claim for ourselves. We think that being holy means considering ourselves superior to others. And we don’t want to do that. We don’t want a “holier-than-thou” attitude.
We think “I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t want to claim some sort of spiritual super-status. God is holy, Jesus was holy; but me, I’m just a sinner.” We think “I can try to emulate some of Jesus’ life, but I am doomed to failure, and so it’s just a case of trying my best and dealing with the inevitable falling short.” We think that holiness is far out of our reach.
Becoming Christlike: Attaining Holiness by God's Grace
I used to believe that way. But then I came to know that holiness is not the call of the spiritual superheroes. It’s not out of our reach. Holiness is for ordinary people like you and me. And it is attainable, by the grace of God!
The early Christians weren’t spiritual superheroes. They were real-life, ordinary people who were filled with love and free from their old sins. They were holy people of God.
We can be, too. We can become like Christ in our devotion to God and to people.
We are not doomed to failure. Why would God call us to holiness and then doom us to failure?
He doesn’t. In fact, His salvation plan for us is to bring us back to holiness, His original plan for His people.
Do you want to be like Jesus? Then, by the grace of God, be holy.
