Tag: Holy

Devotionals

A Call to Holy Living

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT – A Call to Holy Living – So prepare your – Bible Gateway

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
 

God calls every Christian to holy living. In fact, He says ‘you must be holy.’ Don’t allow God’s statement to alarm you. He is not calling you to be perfect as He is without a trace of sin. We all know that is not possible, and if anyone knows that is not possible it is God. So, what does God mean when He gives us this command, we must be holy. He is calling us to holy living and not to a perfect sinless life without any flaws or defects. And is this possible, yes!

The Lord is calling us away from our old way of living before we were saved. Dr. John MacArthur notes, “Holiness essentially defines the Christian’s new nature and conduct with his pre-salvation lifestyle.” We are called to live separately from the sinful ways of the world as the new Christ-like nature takes over. Being holy, in essence, is being separated from the world and not living in accordance with the world systems. Christians are to be set apart from sin and impurity and set apart to God.

Habakkuk 1:13 says, “But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.” (nlt) The hearts and minds of every Christian should continually reflect on the purity of God. Our goal is to live in purity and recognize God cannot stand the sight of evil. When we fail, which will be often, the Lord offers forgiveness when we confess and He gives us grace to see us through as we continue on with our call to holy living.

Devotionals

Perpetual Fire of Forgiveness

Loring Schultz

“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” Leviticus 6:13 NIV

Photo by Moaz Tobok on Unsplash

The third book of the Law of Moses is the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Its theme is God’s holiness, and God’s will for Israel’s holiness. God’s teaching to Israel in Leviticus is how to approach their holy God in worship and in the sacrifices required of them, especially those concerning their sin. Much emphasis is placed on the priests in establishing this reverent and holy approach to God. All animals sacrificed on the altar had to be perfect without defect. “In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.” (Lev.4:35niv)

The Lord gave Moses detailed instructions of all the sacrifices the priests were going to perform. The most significant command was that the fire on the altar was to be continuous. “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.” (Lev. 6:12niv) The people of Israel were assured of God’s readiness to always forgive their sin at any time of the day or night.

The same assurance has been granted us today. God is always there waiting for us to come before Him with our confession. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:9niv) No need to bring a perfect animal to an altar for sacrifice every time we sin. A perfect lamb was sacrificed on the cross at Calvary to take away our sin. Jesus, the lamb of God paid the penalty for our sin ‘once for all.’ But we still sin and for that there is the perpetual fire of God’s readiness to forgive.

Devotionals

No one is Holy like the Lord    

Loring Schultz

“No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 NLT

Photo by chris liu on Unsplash

What is your definition of ‘holy’? Does it match with Webster’s New World Dictionary’s #1 definition, ‘dedicated to religious use; sacred.’ How about the Biblical definition, ‘being set apart, dedicated to God and His purposes’? I hope it is at least one of the two because they are the same.

Has anyone ever referred to you as holy knowing you are a Christian? They may say in jest or really mean it. I’ve had that experience many times in my life and always would come back a response of ‘no not me, I’m not holy!’ But when I think about it they are right whatever their intent. Being holy is being separated from the world and unto the Lord. Scripture conveys the idea that all Christians are holy unto the Lord. The apostle Peter wrote, “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” (1Pt.1:14-16 nlt)

Not before we get carried away with being holy, may we keep in mind there is only one who is truly holy. Holy in the sense of being ‘sinless, spiritually pure, deserving deep respect, awe, etc.’ as defined in the dictionary. And as we study the Bible and read all of God’s attributes, observe His ways and His love for the world we come to realize there is no one Holy like the Lord. So let us rejoice in being holy unto the only true Holy one, the Lord God.