You Shall Be Holy

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:13-16

The moment a person embraces Christ as Savior he becomes holy and blameless in God’s sight; his sins forgiven by the blood of Christ. Yet salvation is only the starting block for a life of holiness. Our holy state, or position, as new creatures in Christ must be continually appropriated as we grow in holiness.

Think of humanity as an analogy. When a child is born he is a human being in the fullest sense. However, his entire life is spent developing physically and emotionally, authenticating his humanness. As a Christian grows in holiness, he demonstrates the reality of his new identity as a saint or “holy one.” Although he must apply all his faculties to experience growth in holiness, the Holy Spirit is always the Change Agent for holy living.

External observance of religious traditions will not make you holy. Good works will not make you holy. Avoidance of certain activities will not make you holy.

Do you want to be holy? Remember that God has already accepted you as His holy child, and then depend on the Holy Spirit to dynamically and continuously make you a partaker of God’s divine, holy nature.

“Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” 1 Peter 2:2