We know that God is holy. We know the scriptures are holy. Have you ever thought about what holy really means? Have you ever wanted to be holy? Can we be holy? Are we supposed to be holy?
Sacred and blameless would be words we would use to define holy. Justification would be a definition of righteousness.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Isaiah 64:6-7
Filthy rags are a long way from holy. Only through the blood of Jesus can we hope to be looked upon as holy or perhaps justified or righteous.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:8-10
Yes, our righteousness is of God by faith. And what about the calling?
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10
This holy nation is the Christian church. We are called to be a peculiar people. Having been grafted in, we are now the people of God. We have been called out of darkness into the light. With that comes responsibility.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:11-12
The passage continues. But as you can see, we are called to be different. We are to be a peculiar people, and our behavior should stand out from the rest.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to remember that we all miss the mark.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:10-12
Nevertheless, we are called to be a peculiar people. What areas of your life need to be cleaned up? What steps can you take today to become more Christ-like?