Called to Holy Living And Made Holy in Jesus, In Spite of My Sin!

As I read through my Bible on Wednesday, March 6, God’s Word spoke and said, “For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus. 11:45) Now, for those who are somewhat familiar with the Bible, it is not surprising to hear this phrase. God calls His people to holy living often. In Leviticus 19:2 the same phrase is repeated. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” In The Sermon on the Mount Jesus echoes that same command. “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Because we hear this call from our Lord so often, perhaps we do not grasp all that He is saying when we read these words. There is a sense in which God’s call to holy living speaks of purpose. God sets aside the Jews as people who had a purpose which made them different. This difference of living for the purpose of God is reflected in the dietary laws of Israel, in the Sabbath, in their dress, and in their festivals. Living as people of God, living for God, is a witness to all who do not know the Lord, or who do not know His power and love and mercy. Throughout all of Scripture, even though Israel was called to this ‘set apart living,’ God nevertheless loves everyone and wants all people to hear of His glory and wisdom and grace. Therefore, God’s people are ‘set apart.’

Jesus reflects this different, set apart living, in His words in The Sermon on the Mount. You see, there is also a sense that this purposeful living is also shown in lives of righteousness. When children of God know what is pleasing to our Lord, and what is loving to our neighbors, when we live that way, we not only witness to God, but then our lives bless others. That is also why Jesus teaches in Matthew 5, “ . . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Since God’s law is fulfilled through loving our Lord and loving others, there is also a way in which Jesus’ new command in John 13 is another repetition of those words I read on March 6th. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34 and 15:12) We live holy, set apart, lives when we love others, especially when we love them in the self-giving, sacrificial way in which Jesus loved us.

But, going back to the words on read on Wednesday, “ . . . be holy, for I am holy," we can indeed hear this call from God so often that we overlook the gravity of what God is saying. When was the last time that your purpose in living for God, when your righteousness, your love, came close to that shown by our Heavenly Father, or shown by our Savior, Jesus? I fail at living with set apart, righteous actions many times daily! Never mind that my heart and mind are corrupted through sinful desires. My actions toward others are often selfish instead of showing sacrificial love. I even worry that my deeds are not always good, and that instead of pointing others to our loving God, I can at times drive them away from Him. Have you ever heard anyone say, “If that’s what a Christian is like, I want nothing to do with God?!”

Thankfully, God knows our sin and failure, and He takes care of us through Jesus. We deserve punishment for our waywardness, but in Jesus God washes away our sin. “. . . the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) I also truly appreciate the word picture from Revelation 7 “ . . . They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14) What a wonderful gift! God calls us to BE holy, and then He MAKES us holy . . . in the cross and empty tomb of JESUS!

I spent time in my devotion on March 6 and read those words. “ . . . be holy, for I am holy." Then it caught me that God’s call is deep and it is above and beyond my best efforts. However, as the Spirit reminded me about the rest of God’s Word, I realized again that God takes care of my failure, my short comings, and my rebellion. When I realize God’s call to holy living, when I realize my failure, and then I hear of the grace of God in Jesus, IT CHANGES MY HEART! I may not be perfect, but I want to keep repenting of my sin and keep seeking to pursue this call from God. “ . . . be holy, for I am holy."

You see, God has set each of us aside for a purpose, just as He did to Israel. And, even in my failure, my Lord is good and gracious. I pray that others may see the light of Jesus shine through me and through my life as God’s child!