“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3, ESV)
God is holy. To be holy means to be set apart. It means to be different. It means to think, look, and act differently from everything around you.
God is holy because God is without sin. God is holy because he can do what no one else can do. God is holy because there is none like him. He stands over all.
He is complete in perfection, goodness, and power. When God’s complete perfection is revealed in its fullness, it is humbling and even terrifying to us who are weak, sinful, and unholy. Consider Isaiah when God’s holiness was revealed. Isaiah cries out:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5, ESV)
As terrifying as it might be, God invites you into his holiness. He says to be holy because he is holy (see Leviticus 11:44-45). We are not holy and could never enter that holiness on our own. But through Jesus, we are made holy. God chooses to make holy what he will make holy. And he chose you to be holy through Jesus. He clothes you in his holiness when you receive the gift of salvation by faith.
Now God calls us to grow in this holiness. As we follow Jesus, we are being perfected in holiness each day (2 Corinthians 7:1). We are empowered and strengthened by the Holy Spirit for this growth. The theological word for this process is sanctification. It is to live more pure and blameless. It is to set aside more and more each day the thoughts, words, and actions in our lives that are not from God.
A Pastor friend of mine says, “come as you are, but don’t stay where you are at.” When you encounter God, you will be changed. If you know Jesus and the Holy Spirit resides in your heart, you cannot stay the same.
Reflection
- Where do you recognize your growth in holiness?
- Where do you need to grow in holiness?
Prayer
Lord, you are holy. We are a people of unclean lips. We are humbled by your majesty. We are to often filled with impure motives. Give us your Spirit. Clothe us with the holiness of Christ. May he be our righteousness. Help us grow each day in holiness to walk in purity and blamelessness until we are received into your kingdom. Amen.
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