God has many expectations from us, His children. One of which is pretty clear, be holy.
“you shall be holy; for I am holy”
Leviticus 11:44
What does that mean? There are many books written on this topic and a well-versed theologian can do justice explaining the meaning. I think it means to be set apart for God. Sanctified, pure, His.
How can we, who need God to do a simple task like drawing a breath make ourselves Holy? We as Christ followers do not have to do this ourselves. King Hezekiah might have given us a little clue. If you follow along, maybe we can find a way to be Holy as He is Holy.
“Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.“
2 Chronicles 29:5
When King Hezekiah jumped into project “cleanse the temple”, he asked the Levites to do 3 things:
- Sanctify themselves
- Sanctify the house of the Lord God
- Carry out the rubbish from the holy place
If we have to apply this to ourselves, the conclusion may sound a little like this:
- How do we cleanse ourselves? Pray, ask for a clean heart and renewed spirit. By accepting Jesus, we have been justified and we are in the process of getting sanctified by Him, His grace and mercy.
- How should we sanctify the house of the Lord? The Holy Spirit lives within us, Jesus wants to come and take ownership of our heart. Our body is His temple. We have to protect our mind, body and soul. We should stay away from reading and viewing material that draws us away from God. We should watch our food intake and treat food as sustenance, workout and stay healthy. Finally, rejuvenate the soul through spending time in scripture and prayer.
- Throw out rubbish, negative thoughts, anger, un-forgiveness, envy, lust and greed. Ask God to rid you of these negativities. There is no room for such feelings in the house of the Lord.
However, every now and then we will fall back into our old ways and may need to be reminded that we have to be Holy. Do not fret, keep the company of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who can hold you accountable. Do not skip church, you never know what will rekindle your desire to be Holy as He is Holy through the sermons, service and fellowship. Spend time with Jesus.
Dear Jesus,
Grant me a clean heart and a renewed spirit so that I may be Holy as you are. Please rid me of my negative thoughts and actions. Help me grow closer to you each day. May my actions bring You glory. Amen.