Be Holy

These are the words of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died at the beginning of the twelfth century: "If I should see the shame of sin on the one hand, and the pain of hell on the other, and must of necessity choose one, I would rather be thrust into hell without sin than go into heaven with sin."
Holiness. What is holiness? Is it important to be holy? Is it a suggestion or a command? How can you live a holy life, in a world of degradation?
Holiness is defined as: n. [from holy.] The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity. Applied to the Supreme Being, holiness denotes perfect purity or integrity of moral character, one of his essential attributes. 1. Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect. (Webster’s Dictionary)
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states "The distinctive feature of the New Testament idea of holiness is that the external aspect of it has almost entirely disappeared, and the ethical meaning has become supreme. . . But it is especially in its application to Christians that the idea of holiness meets us in the New Testament in a sense that is characteristic and distinctive. Christ's people are regularly called "saints" or holy persons, and holiness in the high ethical and spiritual meaning of the word is used to denote the appropriate quality of their life and conduct."
Holiness is not defined by our outward appearance nor our outward acts, holiness is defined by your thoughts, and your attitudes, which in turn, will affect your outward appearance and acts.. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (I Peter 1:13 NIV) Holiness begins with your mind, which shapes your attitude, your attitude then shapes your actions. What should your attitude be like? It is written in Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."(NIV) Your attitude should therefore reflect Jesus Christ. You should think, act, and have the appearance of Jesus.
Holiness is a very important aspect of being a Christian. Holiness is a command from God, "For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'" (I Peter 1:16 NLT). You must be holy. The word must denotes a command, not a suggestion. How do you live a holy life? "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. . . Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (I Peter 1:14, 2:1-3 NIV) The first step is not to conform to the evil desires you had before you accepted Jesus as your Savior. You are no longer that person, but you are a new creation in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) You can no longer live as you once did. You can no longer use ignorance as an excuse. You have been washed clean from your past, and you are now a new creation, the old you is dead. Just like the alcoholic, when he admits he has a problem and finished the "12 step program", he doesn’t go back to drinking. A sinner, who admits he has a problem, and accepts Christ, knows he can’t go back to living the life that he once had.
You must not conform to what society says is all right. "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect." (Rom 12:2 GNB). To be holy, you must allow God to transform you. You can’t transform yourself. Just like the caterpillar, who one day decides to transform into a beautiful butterfly, yet must build a cocoon and allow God to transform the caterpillar, you must allow God to transform you. Notice though, the transformation is not physical, but an inward transformation. It is a transformation by a complete change of mind. You will then know the will of God, that which is pleasing unto Him. You must therefore, rid yourself of all types of sin, beginning with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. These sins are attitudes of the heart, attitudes based on selfish desires to be above others. You must therefore, remove your own ego about yourself and focus wholly on what is good and God centered. Your life is like a glass full of water. In order to be filled completely by God, you must completely empty yourself from it. You must pour out all of your water, and allow God then to fill your glass back up. Remove your carnal desires and focus on God and the gifts He will bestow upon you. When that is done, you will be like a little child. As a child you will crave sustenance, and that sustenance should be a spiritual milk. By being fed early with the word of God and the Truth of God, you will grow in God. This is accomplished by many ways.
You must read scripture daily. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16,17 NIV) You will grow by getting into the word of God.
You must test everything and avoid evil. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (I Thes 5:21,22 NIV) You must be willing to be taught and to learn.
You must pray often. "Pray continually" (I Thes 5:17 NIV). Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands of believers. I am reminded of this story:
A man dreamed, while traveling, that he came to a little church. On the roof was a devil fast asleep. He went along farther and came to a log cabin which was surrounded by devils all wide awake. He asked one of them what it meant. Said the devil, "I will tell you. The fact is that the whole church is asleep, and one devil can take care of all the people; but here are a man and a woman who commune with God in prayer, and they have more power than the whole church.
You must not forsake other believers. "Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." (Heb 10:24,25 MSG) Satan loves to take the small, the weak, and the independent. By remaining united, it is harder to stumble, fall, or even be broken. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three stands is not quickly broken." (Eccl 4:12 NIV). Surround yourself with Christian friends, and have a couple of trustworthy accountability partners, to help you maintain a holy lifestyle. Holiness is a command by God. On the surface, it appears to be very difficult and almost impossible to achieve. Without God’s intervention and help, it is impossible to achieve, yet, rely on God to fully transform your mind, and holiness can and will be achieved.