God is a holy God. He is unlike any other. He is pure and without any evilness or sin. He cannot lie but is always true. He is love. He has great mercy. He is almighty – none come close to His power and might. He is all knowing. He has always existed and will always be. He is everywhere. Words seem inadequate to describe our God. But one word seems to sum it all up – holy. Revelation 4:8 “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’”
God chose the Israelite nation to be His people. He asked the Israelites to consecrate or set themselves apart from all other peoples and the practices of the other nations and dedicate themselves to Him. Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” The Israelites were to be holy – separate or set apart to God. As God gave instructions to the Israelites, He told them that certain things were to be holy – separated and set apart for Him and His worship. Garments in His worship were to be holy. There was holy oil used in His service. The altar was holy. Specific places were to be holy. The Sabbath was to be holy. And as previously stated, the whole Israelite nation was to be holy. Many things were declared to be holy because they were set apart and consecrated to God.
Just as the Israelites of old were to be a holy people, the church today is holy. Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Christians are to be a holy nation. 1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” As the Israelites were told not to intermix with the peoples of the land of Canaan, so Christians are to separate themselves from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’” You, as a believer in Jesus Christ, cannot be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. You, as a righteous child of God, cannot have fellowship with lawlessness. You, who walk in the light, cannot have communion with darkness. You, who are in Christ, cannot have agreement with false worship, idolatry, witchcraft, sorcery or other such false religions. Separate yourself from the ways of the world; do not touch the unclean things the world craves, and be a holy child of God. Be set apart and consecrated to God.
Since you are holy and set apart for God, your actions must be different from the world’s actions. 1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” Let your actions reflect you obedience to God and rejection of your former lusts and sinful actions. Be holy, for God is holy.
Unless you are holy, you will not see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” One day Jesus will return; the heavens will pass away and the earth will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10-11 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” My encouragement to you is to be holy and demonstrate your holiness in your daily conduct.