When someone asks you to describe yourself, what do you say? 

I’m guessing you don’t use the word “holy.” After all, you don’t want to appear “holier than thou.” I get it. And perhaps you don’t think you’re very holy. That’s certainly a humble way of seeing things.

But if you are a follower of Christ, you actually are holy. The reason some Christians balk at this suggestion is because they fail to appreciate the two kinds of holiness. 

The first is your status as holy. In Hebrews 10:10 we learn about what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We have “been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” His sacrifice has made his people holy and distinct as children of God. It’s something he gives you. 

Nothing can take that holy status from you, even if you make some (very) bad choices.

The second kind of holiness is your growth in holiness. This is the process of spiritual maturity. Just as an athlete develops better skills, or as a student learns more about a subject, or as a carpenter gets better at his or her craft, so does a follower of Jesus—with the help of the Holy Spirit—grow to be more and more like their Master. They learn, they practice, they act—and, as a result, they grow.

If you are in Christ, today I want to remind you that you are holy. This doesn’t mean you’re perfect. But it does mean you’re set apart for a special purpose in the world. 

Embrace it. We need to be more committed to following Christ than the crowd.

“Be holy,” says the Lord, “because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

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Notes:

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–“Holiness is Readiness.” Sermon. September 24, 2023. Click here.