“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy.'” 1 Peter 1:15,16
Throughout Scripture, God speaks to mankind concerning the difference between that which is holy and that which is not. Why? Fundamentally, it is because of God who IS holy, as opposed to all that is not, because of the Fall of man. When sin entered into the heart of man, that which was holy was invaded by that which was not. The leaven began to spread, until the whole lump was affected, and infected by it. The result was that man ceased to be, or to know, what the holiness of God truly was. His point of reference to again “catch a gleam of glory bright” was lost in the blindness of his heart, his mind being darkened, and plunged into darkness. The testimony and proof of his unholiness was in the manifestations of sin, the fruits and effects of his sinful, unholy nature. There man would remain, sitting in darkness and nature’s night, but for the grace of God. In His mercy, God would cause the light of truth, whether revealed in nature, or supremely in Jesus Christ, to pierce the deadly darkness of delusion and deception, of the slavery of Satan’s blinding power, to shine into the dungeon of lies and chains, to give hope and the knowledge of a singular way to rise, to be set free, and come forth a new creation in Christ. It would be the Holy God, who, by His power and love, would call man to become what he naturally was not, holy. That holiness of which God would speak, and which He sought to communicate to man, not only in the revelation of truth, but with and by the power of an indestructible life, would be the standard and revealed measure of the love of God for man. The holiness of God, and the unholiness of man, met on Calvary. It was the holiness of God that dealt the decisive blow to the power of ungodliness, unholiness. That blow would be total, and permanent, eternal. It would manifest itself not only in the declared and proven forgiveness and cleansing from all sin, a new creation in Christ by the power of God, but the attributing of Christ’s holiness, the very holy life of God by the Spirit to the believer. All of a sudden, that which was impossible to man, became and was revealed as possible with God. Man became holy by God’s eternal decree, Christ being declared to be his life, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Christ became the holiness of the believer, to be believed in, received, and lived by the faith of the Son of God. This holy and eternal Life, now dwelling in the heart of the believer since the event of Pentecost, was determined by God to fill the heart, soul, and body of the believer, and this more and more. As the believer’s capacity would increases, so would the measure of the manifest presence, and power, of Christ’s life itself reveal. The fruits of such a holy life are declared to be the “fruits of the Spirit,” for their source is Christ, manifested by the Spirit, for the glory of God. How then is one to live in the reality of this holiness existing in Christ, and to increase in one’s knowledge, both in truth and power of Christ’s holy Life? The key to all is faith, and the faithful mercy of God.
Where does one’s knowledge of God’s holiness begin? It begins with the conviction of one’s lostness, helplessness, weakness, and incapacity to produce or accomplish anything righteous, good, or holy. In a parable of Christ, a Pharisee declared all that he did “of himself,” to be righteous. However, the Publican, not so much as lifting his eyes to heaven, would pray: “…God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) Jesus would declare that the Publican was justified, receiving God’s holy answer to his need.
Dear Father, Make us thoroughly holy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.