Holiness is perhaps one of the most misunderstood terms of our time. A study by The Barna Group reveals that though the Bible talks a lot about holiness, most people are confused and even apprehensive about what it means.
Pastor Ray Stedman observed, “Most of us associate [holiness] with some kind of grimness or solemnity. We think holy people are those who look as if they have been steeped in vinegar or soaked in embalming fluid.” No wonder few Christians aspire to be holy.
In Leviticus 19, we see that holiness involves more than special ceremonies and special holy days and going to a sacred place, the tabernacle, where rites were performed by a special priestly class. We see a very practical, everyday kind of holiness—honoring parents and displaying honesty, kindness, compassion, and justice. In essence, holiness is practiced by loving one’s neighbor as one’s self (Leviticus 19:18).
In fact, we find that holiness isn’t relevant for full-time ministers only—it’s for laypeople like you and me as well. For we read, “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). In the ultimate sense, living a holy life is the imitation of God who alone is holy. So God’s holiness and His gracious redemption provide both the reason and the motivation for His people’s own holiness (Leviticus 20:26).
Stedman writes, ”The book of Leviticus details the way by which man is made holy enough to live in the Divine Presence and to enjoy a relationship so close that God will delight to say, ‘You are mine.’ Don’t be turned off by the word ‘holy’ in this passage . . . True holiness is therefore something splendidly attractive.”
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Kings 3:1-15
More:
Read 1 Peter 1:13-20 to understand that under the new covenant, God’s demands for His people remain unchanged. Holiness is a requirement for His redeemed people.
Next:
How can you make every day a holy day? What will you do to display holiness at work, home, and other places?
dabac on April 13, 2012 at 3:41 am
Every Christian is holy.
Most so-called Christians or traditional Christians view holy people as some special kind of Christians, but that’s not Biblical.
tom felten on April 13, 2012 at 10:38 am
Thanks for you comment, dabac. While Scripture reveals that true believers have received God’s holiness (1 Corinthians 1:30), we must daily choose to walk in holiness.
dabac on April 24, 2012 at 4:16 am
Agree!
I just wanted to point out the wrong picture of traditional “saints” as some have, as if those are “some different kind of Christian that I am”.
Thanks for reply!
ptmtrt on April 13, 2012 at 5:38 am
When we exercise the spirit of gentleness in the face of hostility,even it may not receive a positive response; take heart,we have God’s approval.
onevision on April 13, 2012 at 9:37 am
Every Christian is Holy…set apart for His Glory. In today’s culture it should be overwhelmingly obvious that we are Christians.
Loving what He loves and hating what He hates.
Not everyone who says they are Christians are. The test is….is He setting us apart…are we new creations? Our relationship to sin reveals who we really are. Do we hate it!!
Is Holiness a passion for us?
Forgiven much, Loves much!
melanierweber on April 13, 2012 at 9:41 am
Thank you Ms. Poh Fang for using the Old Testament for today’s reading. Although I’m not a Farmer, I pray that God will reveal how I may be able to apply v. 9-10 in my life regularly. This scripture reveals that the dignity of the poor and the stranger is protected.
dr.lightsey on April 13, 2012 at 7:19 pm
As Christians (true born-again believers) who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, we should never shy away from living a holy lifestyle. We should never be ashamed of who and what we are. Today, and always….holiness is in style!
daisymarygoldr on April 13, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Holiness is misunderstood due to lack of clear teaching in the church. Liberal grace only teachings have so confused the concept of holiness that people no longer even desire to be holy. In fact the word holy sounds unholy to many and is usually mentioned negatively in terms of being holier-than-thou. I remember in one blog post, bumble bee and weed was used to illustrate 2 different kinds of holiness—a useful and a useless one.
There is only one holiness; the one that God imparts to us. God alone is holy and when we received Jesus Christ as our Savior we have been made holy (Hebrews 10:10). This positional holiness should then find its expression in our practical holiness. Christians are not lay people but God’s “holy priests” (1 Peter 2:5). ‘You are mine’ means God has separated us from for Himself, for His pleasure and for His purpose.
It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to practise holiness in our lifestyle in order to fulfill God’s eternal purpose for creating us in His own image. William Wilberforce, the late 19th century British statesman who gave his life to abolish slavery, said, “The nature of that holiness which the true Christian seeks to possess is no other than the restoration of the image of God to his soul.”
True; holiness is practiced by loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. And how does one love in practical ways? …By keeping all of God’s decrees and putting them into practice (Leviticus 19:37). In the book of Leviticus, holiness is achieved by regulation through external law. In the New Covenant however, we practise holiness as a result of transformation from within.
My prayer is for the Lord to make our love for one another grow and overflow and as a result, make our hearts strong, blameless, and holy (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). Thanks Poh Fang and all for helping us to see that true holiness is something splendidly attractive!