Upholding the Holy

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.”—1 Peter 1:16

God commands us to be holy—“You shall be holy, for I am holy”—1 Peter 1:16. As God is holy, we are to be holy. We are to strive for holiness because without it, we cannot see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

Holiness means, “set apart,” which carries the idea of being consecrated for a special purpose. Holiness is also a separation from that which is common, making it sacred. And for us in the twenty-first century, the concept of holiness is largely lost. In our individualistic, democratic, egalitarian society, where there is nothing off-limits, holiness seems passé, almost arrogant. The term “holy” has mutated almost entirely to a derogatory term with accusations of “you’re so holier than thou” or as a precursor to coarse language.

As the culture becomes more and more secular, man has attempted to force God to the periphery. Man—his needs, rights, and sense of being have largely replaced God. Man has sought to be the captain of his own destiny, a force unto himself, and the sole arbiter of what is true and praiseworthy. Holiness is discarded as arcane and unnecessary, relegated to the world of religion and fantasy, not to be contended with in a world of technological innovation and hedonistic impulses. Like lepers forced to live at the fringe of society in the ancient world, so is God in modern times.

Even in many churches, the concept of holiness is fading. Divorce, alternative lifestyles, sexual promiscuity, drug use, banal entertainment and a host of other sinful practices are becoming more and more acceptable. But no matter what man does or tries to do, it will not change God. Sin is still sin no matter how many give in to it, or how society promotes it, or how much the church tolerates it. God demands holiness—anything else is wickedness.

Holiness is our response to God’s cleansing act made available to us through Christ’s death on the cross. We now are “clean” in the sight of God. It’s not that we will never sin again, but when we do, which breaks our fellowship with God, we will experience a holy discontent until it is reestablished through confession and repentance (1 John 1:9). To advocate anything less is wickedness and totally marginalizes what Christ did on the cross.

God will not be ignored, nor will He be marginalized, by the world or by the church. He will make His purposes and plans known. No matter what man does, you can’t remove who God is. As believers in Christ, we have been given the responsibility to uphold Him as holy. We are to demonstrate by our lives that we are His people.

I pray that we may learn what it means to be holy in our unholy world. I pray that we may not cater to the spirit of the age that promotes sin, but live holy lives that show the reality of our participation within the life of God made available through Christ—to His glory and our joy. Amen.