What does it mean to be holy? God tells us in Leviticus 20:7 “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.” But what does to mean to be holy and how can we be sure we are living a holy life? In today’s discussion, we will discuss what it means to be holy and how to be certain our life is holy.
To be holy means you are consecrated and set apart for God. In other words, there is no trace of sin found in you. If we are not set apart for God, we will live in sin and miss out on our eternal reward. How can we be sinless? We have to continually spend time with God and His Word. We have to also take time and pray. If we do not, we cannot expect God to be close to us.
When we take time to read and seek the Lord, we will know how to be holy. God’s Word has been written for our instruction and correction. (2 Timothy 3:16) However, we must be obedient to God’s Word or sin will continue to abide with us. If sin abides in us, we are not considered holy. If there is sin, we must ask God to forgive us and we cannot hold onto that sin. If we do, we will be drawn to sin again and we will draw further away from the Lord.
As people, we will be drawn to sin because it is in our nature. David stated in Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” However, we choose over who will rule us, sin or Jesus. When we ask God to come in our hearts and forgive us, we are made pure and holy. We maintain that holiness by obeying God’s Word and reverencing Him above everything. When we sin, we are stained and not pure before God. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us.
When God frees us, we should not go back to sin. God’s grace will always be abundant but that does not mean we can live freely and commit sin. Paul in Romans 6:1-2 stated “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” When we ask God’s forgiveness, we must spend time reading His Word and letting it abide in our spirit. When it takes root in our life, we will not be proned to sin and we will please Him.
We will know our life is holy when we continually obey God’s Word and we have a close relationship with Him. As we live to please Him, the things that displease Him will fade away. If you feel like you are not living a holy life, God is quick to forgive and remember our sins no longer. It is only through the help of the Lord that we can overcome any sin in our life. Seek the Lord whatever state you are in and He will meet you as you are to make you clean and holy.
Thought for the week: What is keeping you from living a holy life? Are there any improvements you need to make to be sure your life is holy and clean before God?