BE HOLY - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
"but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16 NKJV
I have heard people quote this part of the scripture to justify their life as a critic. And I have also heard people explain it away in an attempt to water it down as if the Bible didn't say what it says. I believe the Bible meant what it says.
The Bible expressly said; "Be Holy".
But what does this mean?
The portion of the Bible above is a quote from the book of Leviticus 11. The chapter 11 of Leviticus dealth extensively with prohibited food for the children of Israel among others. Other scriptures also mentioned that the people of God will be established as holy unto God.
But the point was not the food or other activities. The point was for them to change from their previous way of life and adopt a way of life that is in line with the Lord God. In Leviticus, Bible said;
"For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44-45 NKJV
Here, God was telling the children of Israel not to behave like the nations around them or involve in their way of life. Especially the diabolic way of life of the Egyptians that they just left. Egyptians had a god for almost everything and some of those activities were in honour of such gods. Because food, even till date, is a major contact point and some of those things involved or ended up in ritualistic and demonically motivated activities. And so God said, don't do that. Be set apart to Me.
Now, when Jesus was on earth, He said that it was not what goes in through the mouth that defiles a person but that which came out from the heart. Cleary, lJesus advocated the same principle of holiness but took further to add the essence of the principle.
This is so because your physical self is a slave of what is in your heart, hence - set yourself apart from your heart and it will show in the acts. Don't be like everybody else. Don't be lost in the crowd with the ungodly.
So further in the new testament, Apostle Peter quoted the same passage but this time with the new testament mind set in line with Jesus and said:
"do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage];" 1Peter1:14-15 AMP.
Therefore, to be HOLY is to be set apart to God.
A little more on set apart.
While growing up with my parents, there was a cup know as Daddy's cup. No one else dared to use it. It was "set apart" for Dad. It wasn't really made of any unique design and of course it wasn't different from any of it's kind in the market. But having been bought over to the house, it was set apart for Dad. It's life changed. Where it was, how it is used, who uses it and so on was clearly known. It was holy to Dad.
Another example, a church buys an equipment, same product, price and place where the club house bought an identical equipment. Buy the one bought by the church is set apart solely for the gospel and would be be used for anything that will not promote the gospel.
In the same way, having been brought into the kingdom of light, God wants us to be set apart for Him alone and not for us to still act like we are available to things we used to do or be. Let our whole life, our desires, ambitions, aspirations and profession be dedicated to God alone. Anything that is not of God should not catch your fancy, and if it does, yet stay away and don't get involved. Again, this doesn't mean it has to be things that have "ye shall" or "thou shall not". Rather, it must be by the Holy Spirit and must not contradict the word of God.
So, be set apart for God that everyone will know you are for Jesus. And you will not bow to the compromises of the world.
But it must start from the heart then it goes further to your conduct and it then affects everything. It affects who you marry and your marriage, where you live, where you work, how you work, what you wear, how you speak, and so on.
To be holy, that is set apart will affect everything. You will have to lay aside many things as the Holy Spirit guides you daily (1Peter2:1).
However, if "holiness" is only from your actions - it is religious and frustrating. But when it flows from your heart, it is who you are.
And if holiness is only in your heart, you need to allow it flow otherwise you are deceiving yourself. A printer cannot print a different image from what is inside.
Be holy is not behave yourself. It is to become a person that is set apart. It is a "being" that flows to everything and not just a doing of certain things.
It is your identity.
Bible says;
_"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" I Peter 2:9 NKJV
Declare and say; I am set apart for the Lord. I am a holy nation. My desires are holy. My thoughts, my words and actions are holy. I am exclusively dedicated to God. I am holy.
Hallelujah!
Blessings 😊🙌🏾
#pastorjosh #joshuaboyede
