I Peter 1:15&16 "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."
Reading in I Peter this morning, I was actually doing a little personal study on being kept by the power of God. But I ran across the verses above and could not pull myself away from them.
Several years ago, when Justin was a little guy and Hannah was just a thought, I was floundering around in Christianity. Straddling the fence, if you will. My conversation was not the same as it is today and I was not striving to live that holy and separated life as a child of God.
Looking back from where I was to where I am today, there are people that God placed in my life to help shape my heart and guide me toward Him.
It took me much too long to get to "this place" in my relationship with Him. And I still have a very long way to go. Don't we all? But how does one become holy as HE is holy? When do we reach holiness as HIS holiness? Well, obviously when we live like Him and live by His Word.
When I think of the word, holy, the word, perfect, immediately comes to mind. However, as I was looking up the meaning of the word, holy, I realized that my outlook on being holy was all wrong. It's not about striving to live a perfect life. You know why? Because we can't. And God knows that. We are wrapped up in too much flesh and bones to be perfect. I'm not saying we should not strive to be perfect as He is perfect because His life was lived as prime example as how we should live. But to live a holy life means we should be living a life that inspires other believers to live for Him.
Are we setting an example to the believers around us? Do they look at us and admire us for our stand, or roll their eyes and think to themselves, "Yeah, they profess Christianity, but if they can go to those kinds of parties..." or "...but if they can wear those clothes..." or "...but if they can listen and quotes lyrics to that music" then I can too.
How are we inspiring holiness?
When I look at that verse, "Be ye holy; for I am holy" I can't get away from that word for. It doesn't say for us to be holy "AS" I am holy. But FOR I am holy. He wants us to live just like Him. We can't do that and live for the world. God is not the author of confusion, and yet His children are doing a great job confusing the world.
Be ye holy is a commandment in this verse. FOR I AM HOLY is the reason why. He wants us to live our lives as He lived His life, to inspire other Christians to live like Him also.
If Christians would live a holy life, inspiring each other to live for Him, we would see a change in our own lives, our homes, our churches, and our world.
