Make a difference – Day 10

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.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Moses took off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground; the Israelites trembled in awe, at the foot of Mount Sinai, when they saw the lightning and heard the thunder when God met with Moses; Isaiah felt intensely conscious of his sinfulness and unworthiness when he saw God’s holiness (Isaiah 6) and in Revelation, when the four creatures flying around God’s throne, who, “Day and night … never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come’… the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him …” (Revelation 4:8). No-one can face God’s holiness and be unmoved.

I knew that “holy” pertained to God and, therefore, had a sense of the sacrosanct combined with righteousness, purity, reverence and awe – in fact, everything poles apart from being human. I was aware of a certain sense of awe when going into a church, because of the presence of the One who alone is perfect of whom Habakkuk said, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong,” (Habakkuk 1:13) in that place. I sensed his presence in other places too, but didn’t have a sense of how anyone, other than God, could be holy.

I am grateful to my Jewish Studies lecturer, an Orthodox Jew, for giving us the simple definition of holiness: to be set apart. God instituted this idea of holiness during the creation of the world, when he ordained the seventh day to be a day set apart from all the rest. “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:3). This made it different and special, elements which enrich life.

When Peter writes to God’s people about being holy, it doesn’t come out of nowhere. In the preceding verses of his letter, he emphasised the importance of obedience and of living in a different way since knowing Christ. Here, he reiterates God’s command to the Israelites. “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44-45)

God calls the ones Christ has delivered from the burden of sin, to live for him alone and to be a witness as his child, enriched by the abundant life he gives. God wants his children to be set apart from sin and impurity, and to strive for moral purity. Which parent does not want his child to be recognised as his own?

Will you commit yourself to being set apart for him?