Being Like Him - a 40 Day Lenten DevotionalNäide

Holiness

God’s precise desire for each of His children is “Be ye holy for I am holy” (I Peter 1:16). The holiness of God is to be principally pursued by His children because without holiness we cannot see God (Hebrews 12 :14).

What is holiness and why is it necessary?

Just as light and darkness cannot dwell together, God and sin cannot coexist. This is why Jesus, when bearing the sins of humankind on the cross, called out in desperation, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He felt cut off from His own family. He suffered with thirst because of our sins, saying “I thirst” so that we may have the living water. When God commands us to be holy, He is not commanding us to do something to become holy, rather he is inviting us to share in His holiness. His holiness is made available because of His sacrifice on the cross. Holiness is about accepting and joyfully enjoying our relationship with Him.

One of the clever lies that the enemy typically feeds us is that obeying God means giving up fun and enjoyment. God’s holy standard cannot be attained by our efforts. Holiness is humbly accepting Christ’s holiness by sincere faith and inviting Him to sanctify us by His precious blood. To be like Him in holiness calls for us to be aware of His exorbitant sacrifice for us and to commit our lives to His will and His purposes. Holiness in our routine life is to live a ‘set apart’ lifestyle that does not belittle His sacrifice but rather involves a grateful yielding to His will. God’s inward work in us towards holiness will be inevitably expressed in our outward living and not the other way around.

Do we boast in religious efforts just to show we are religious? Or do we take His splendid sacrifice for granted and continue to sin? Are there any of you discouraged because you are unable to live up to God’s standard of holiness? There is grace and mercy available because of Jesus. Putting our faith in Him and inviting Him to reign assures us that He clothes us with His holiness and continues to sanctify us.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank you for sharing with us the holiness that only belongs to you, by offering your life as an atonement for our sins. Help us eagerly pursue inward holiness rather than the outward appearances. Urge us to be holy today as we yield our lives to you. In Jesus name, Amen.