“And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One).”
-Hebrews 10:10 (AMP)
Holiness. That’s a hefty word. Some say only God is holy, others say you have to be holy by not falling into sin. We’ve heard it our whole lives: don’t do this, don’t do that—sound familiar?
In reality, holiness is the very standard of God. It’s not about “doing this” or “doing that”. It’s about the permission to walk in greatness. To be holy simply means to be consecrated, to be set apart—separated from the things of this world and unto the greatness of God! Notice how holidays are approached differently from other days of the year. They have different requirements and traditions. They are set apart from your everyday, ordinary life. That’s exactly what God is telling us to be! (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Thess. 4:3, 7; 2 Tim. 1:9.)
“So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21 (AMP)
Holiness has two parts: 1) We are to consecrate ourselves, and 2) we have already been made holy through Jesus’ blood and by faith we receive that position.
Jesus made us holy, but what good does that do if we don’t recognize it and live it out? To accept sin, even to tolerate it as a way of life, is to forget about what Jesus has actually done for us. It’s to receive in vain the very grace of God that will set us free. It is our responsibility to separate ourselves from—cut off connection with—contaminating and corrupting influences so that more of His glory can be revealed through us. If it’s not furthering you in your walk with God, or upholding the standard of the Word in your life, then it’s corrupting it. A lot of times people will “pervert the grace of God into lawlessness [sin]…” (Jude 1:4), but grace is in fact God’s ability to live holy lives. It sets us free from a life that settles for second best. Jesus gave His life up to give us a new one.
Jesus set us apart for greatness. Don’t miss out on living life because of distractions; don’t focus on what you shouldn’t do. Set your mind on what you can do! Jesus lived a life of greatness and He, through His blood, has called us to walk in that same legacy. How? Holiness! Holiness is the legacy of Christ.
“Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin.” Hebrews 10:18 (AMP)
You see, the secret to holiness isn’t just about what we should or shouldn’t do, it’s about what He did. His life is for us to walk in, and that is greatness. We have no excuse, nothing to disqualify us or tell us we can’t do it. Every sin, every limitation that we may or may not have, has been robbed of it’s power to influence our lives. Holiness is a clean slate. When Jesus made us holy, He permanently purified our lives from sin, the one thing that separated us from God.
To be holy is to be set apart, and to be placed into the legacy of Christ. When we accepted Jesus to be our Lord and Savior we agreed that His blood separated us from sin and the world. To take us out, clean us up, and send us forth. Now it’s up to us to walk in it. It’s up to us to step into the greatness He has put inside of us.
[hr style=”2″ margin=”30px 0px 30px 0px”]everydayMISSION:
To consecrate—to be holy, to set yourself apart from the rest—is to make more room for His glory to operate through you. Greater glory begins with consecration. That’s why it’s so important! God wants to pour Himself out of you, but He’s limited when you give yourself to other things! We were made for greatness; let’s live like it! Invest your life into something bigger than yourself! Live like Jesus did. Love God. Love people. Love the mission. Stop wasting time on things that are of little to no value. Focus on Jesus. He is THE Holy One.
[hr style=”2″ margin=”30px 0px 30px 0px”]everydayCONVERSATION:
“Father, I set myself apart from this world and unto You. You have called me to greatness, to a life bigger than myself, and I choose to commit to walk in it today. Thank You for giving me a clean slate, for making me limitless, and for nullifying the power of sin in my life. My life is worth more than __________ (fill in the blank); I’m better than that! Thank you for Your blood that has freed me from limitations and set me apart. I walk in that grace now. In Jesus’ name, amen.”