For nearly a week now, a theme has been coming up multiple times a day during my Bible reading, studies, etc. That theme is holiness or the word holy. Both have been popping up over and over while I am reading, so I decided it was time to dig a little deeper to find out exactly what they meant. If God was consistently bringing this to my attention, He was definitely wanting to get my attention. I had a pretty good idea of what holy meant when describing Him, but what exactly does it mean for me? Or, more specifically, how does it apply to my life?
What follows is my attempt at figuring this out, so I am inviting you to join me in this discovery as I do my best to learn what I can about holy/holiness. I’ve spent the last couple days reading about it, researching the words, and seeing what people a lot wiser and more educated than me had to say about it. It didn’t take long to notice a theme among all the things I read. There were a lot of good explanations that helped me a lot, and two words kept appearing in many of them. They were “set apart”. In fact, that is how a great many people actually defined holy or holiness.
Set apart seemed to be the biggest description of holy/holiness. In the commentary of one of my Bibles, it defined holy as being set apart for God’s use. Okay, now I have a definition, but what exactly does it mean? Well, in my mind, if something is “set apart”, it is literally set apart or separated from something else. I think of something that is set apart for a specific use. It is separated or pulled away from the rest because it has a special or specific purpose. It is, I guess you could say, pulled away from the crowd so that it can be used for its specific purpose.
If holy means to be set apart for God’s use, it means that I must be pulled away from the crowd so that I can be used for a specific purpose. It means that God actually has a purpose for me (Jer. 29:11). It brings to mind another word that I saw several times during my research… separate. I believe that part of holiness means we must separate ourselves from the world. It means that we are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-21). It means learning how to live in this world without letting this world live in us and by this I mean, influence us.
This means learning to live by God’s standards and not the worlds. We are not to let this world define us; we are not to let this world determine the standards by which we live. Being holy means living by His Word. It means being both a hearer and a doer of His Word (James 1:22). It means that we must learn His Word so well that we live by its Truth. It means allowing His Word to transform our minds and reveal His will to us. It means we must daily get in His Word so that He can get the Word in us. It means getting serious about not just reading His Word but studying and applying it to our lives.
“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” Romans 12:1-2. What do these verses mean? It means taking all of my life, all of me, and offering it to God as an offering to Him. It means full surrender to His will and plan. Holy living is living to please Him; it is living for His plan and His purpose.
As I am trying to process all of this, my thoughts are racing as I try to figure out exactly what this means and how I can apply it to my life. Let’s be honest. We can read Scriptures all day long but if we don’t actually apply them, if we don’t actually do what they are saying, it isn’t really going to do much good. I need to understand this, so I know how to do it. As I am seeking the answers to the questions racing through this head of mine, it occurs to me that it might be more simple than I have realized. What if it can be narrowed down to something very simple?
What if holiness simply means stepping away from the world and choosing to seek Him, His will, and His plan while saying, “Here am I, use me, Lord” What if it simply means stepping away from the ways of the world and focusing on doing things His way? What if it simply means focusing on Him and letting Him lead the way? It sounds simple but I am not foolish enough to believe that it will be easy. To be set apart means to step away from the world; it means to refuse to do things the way the world does. It means living differently from the world around me. Separation is not always an easy thing to do.
Holy living or living set apart means taking time to seriously consider some very important questions. How serious am I about pleasing God? How serious am I about living for Him? How serious am I about choosing to live in complete obedience to His Word? Do I have the courage to be different? To stand for His Word, even if I have to stand alone? Am I ready to face persecution if that’s what comes as a result of choosing holy living? I confess just typing those words scares me. My friend, may I tell you something? I believe there is a very good reason God has been bringing this subject to mind.
I believe that we are living in the very last of the last days. I believe that now, more than ever, we need some people willing to choose holiness. We need people willing to live set apart for Him. We need people willing to stand firm against the evil that is spreading and be a light in the darkness! “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Matt. 5:16. Dear heart, this world is growing darker by the day and I would be remiss if I did not warn you as to how short time is getting.
In Leviticus 11:44 and 19:2, God told His people to be holy as He is holy. He was telling His people that they must live differently from the world around them. He was calling them to live set apart, meaning they were to choose to live differently from the culture surrounding them. They were not to allow this world to influence the way they lived but were to be led by Him and by His commands. I believe He is saying the same thing to us today. I believe that He is calling us to step out from this world and be a light shining brightly in the darkness around us.
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” Eph. 5:8. We are called to live differently from the world around us. We are called to shine His light into the dark around us. How can this happen? Psalm 119:105 tells us that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. If we want to shine for Him, we have to get His Word in us. As we allow His Word to transform our hearts and lives, we can then shine a light into the darkness. As we allow His Word to change us, we shine more brightly for Him.
As His Word changes us, it sets us apart from the world around us. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9. Remember how I said being holy meant being set apart for His use, for His purpose? Well, in case you aren’t sure, let me tell you what that means. It means that one of His purposes for you is that you live in such a way that it points people to Him. It means that you shine for Him, so others are drawn to Him.
One of His purposes for you is that you that you tell others what He has done for you and what He means to you. Part of living set apart is telling people why you live the way you do. It means being willing to share the reason for the hope that you have found in Him (1 Peter 3:15) and that He is the reason you live the way that you do. Holy living means you want your life to have meaning and purpose; it means you want to live a life that fulfills the plans that He has for you. Holy living means you want to be the man or woman that He created you to be.
I don’t know about you, but this has certainly given me a lot to think about. Beloved, if we’re being honest, some of this has sounded more than a little challenging and perhaps, you have even been uncomfortable as you have read some of it. May I risk making it worse by asking you to consider some very important questions? How serious are you about living for Him? How serious are you about growing and maturing spiritually? Who is leading your life right now… you or Him? How important is His Word to you? And lastly, how brightly is your light shining right now?
I hope I haven’t offended you by asking you to consider these questions, dear heart, but here’s the truth. Time is growing short, and we need to get serious about living for Him. We need to get serious about holiness. We cannot live like the world around us. This world is living in outright opposition to the Word of God and we cannot straddle the fence. We have to make a choice! Are we going to live set apart for Him or are we going to live like the world around us? Are we going to choose living by His standards or by the world’s standards?
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth” Rev. 3:15-16. The time for straddling the fence is over, my friend; we need to make a choice. Time is too short for us to sit quietly and content with our “fire insurance” while so many people are lost and desperately needing to know Him. This world is in desperate need of someone willing to live a life so surrendered to Him that their life lights the way for others to come to Him!
Beloved, will you be one? Will you be one who chooses to live holy, one who chooses to live set apart for His service? Will you be a light shining in the darkness? Would you be willing to say, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8)? Would you be willing to ask Him to give you the courage to stand for Truth no matter the cost? Would you be willing to stand in the gap and pray for those whom you love that don’t know Him? Would you be willing to stand toe to toe with the enemy and refuse to compromise? Dear heart, would you be willing to be set apart by Him for His purpose and His glory?
May He give us all the courage and determination to choose holy living! May He gives us each the desire to live set apart for His service. I pray that each of us will be willing to do all we can and give all we can for His kingdom. I pray that He will fill each of us with a desire to do all we can to shine brightly for Him. May we live each and every day as if it might be the day He returns and as Charlie Kirk said, ask ourselves this question. “What do I want to be caught doing when He returns?” I don’t know about you, but I want to do my best to “live worthy of the calling” He has placed on me (Eph. 4:1)!
I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land… Ezekiel 22:30a
That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Phil. 2:15-16
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. 1 Peter 1:16
Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
Katrina Douglas
2/4/2023
