Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14.
Holiness. A state of living that if you so not possess it, you will not see the Lord.
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Cor 7:1.
The Word of God is very specific about how we as Christ followers should live our lives before Him.
God said in Leviticus, “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”
The Apostle Peter also reiterates this passage in 1 Peter 1:13,15-16:
[Be Holy] Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming…. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ….for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Being Holy…..as relating to, or associated with God; sacred; endowed or invested with extreme purity or sublimity; devout, godly, or virtuous.
Holiness, we don’t hear about it much from our pulpits anymore, and by looking at the ungodly lifestyles of people in the church it is something that appears to be an afterthought. God’s Word cries out to us to be holy but we do not hear. We make up our own style of Christianity, and substitute it for the Word of God. We make acceptable that which is not acceptable to God. His Word plainly states it. This apostasy will cause not only a falling away of the people which is quite evident today, but will cause many who walk in self deception to find out that if Christ came back today that their self designed righteousness to be lacking and see themselves left behind. But maybe that is the issue. We do not even think about heaven anymore, we just live in the now, when the now is just a twinkling of an eye in eternity. If we really thought Jesus is coming back, and prepared for His coming, we may think differently. But it shouldn’t matter. God is Holy and He has called us to be Holy so that should be enough for us to live our lives holy, sanctified in the Blood of the Lamb. Just because God ordains it.
“Be holy, because I am holy.”
