(by pastor Jean)

“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; MEV). Peter was quoting Leviticus 19:2 and 11:44 in the Old Testament. This sounds like a tall order but let’s see what we can learn about holiness from the Bible. God sets the example of holiness and we are made in His image (Gen 1:26). Holiness in the Bible means to be separate from the world or sanctified. It means to be morally upright and blameless. It is the opposite of sinful. This is something we grow in by a process called sanctification; we will never be perfectly holy but it is something to aim at. In the Old Testament the 10 commandments were given to help people do what was right and therefore develop holiness. The Jews were meant to live differently from the surrounding nations (Lev 18:34). In order for us to become holy we need to renew our minds which will help us line up our values with the word (Rom 12:2). We also need to get those things out of our lives that could compromise holiness such as certain music, movies etc. and even the company we keep. Then of course we need to put into practice what we learn from the word regarding holiness, asking the Holy Spirit to help us because we cannot depend on our own human ability. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit our lives will begin to reflect God’s holy character and so we will shine brightly for the world to see (Matt 5:16).