Holy and Set Apart

"You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.” Leviticus 20:26 (NLT)

A woman came to me recently, red faced and so angry she could hardly contain herself. Words were rolling out of her mouth so rampantly that I couldn’t even inquire after the problem. She paused slightly here and there to take a quick breath and to apologize for a few choice words, which happened to be offensive and poor choices indeed, but continued on as if to unload stuff that had been building up within her for quite some time. When she finally calmed down enough for me to deduce exactly what had transpired, I learned that she had been promised a position at her job that had been given to someone new. In her opinion, it was all done underhandedly; and she was enraged, disappointed, and hurt to receive this kind of treatment from a company where she had demonstrated the upmost loyalty.

One might expect this behavior from a person who hasn’t been a Christian long, or from someone who isn’t a Christian at all, but this woman has been in the faith long enough to be considered a seasoned veteran. The word ‘seasoned’ doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has had more than a few years on this earth, and it’s not a word with negative connotations. It’s a good word that should describe a person that is experienced, wise, and carries in their hearts the testimony of a life lived well. 

In Matthew 5:13 The Message (MSG), Jesus Christ said, “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.”  This is profound to say the least. There are so many people walking around without a clue as to why they were created or what they are placed on this earth to do, and here in Matthew 5:13, Jesus Christ settles it all. Jesus is teaching us about what it means to be so well-seasoned with the goodness of God that we bring out the God-flavors of the earth. This should be the goal of everyone who is blessed to walk in his love.

Those that are young in Christ may have an excuse to sprinkle a little salt, become bland, and then repeat as they hear more of the Word and become salty again; but one would think that a veteran would be more stable in his or her ways. This isn’t to say that challenging stuff doesn’t happen to someone who has been in the Word a while; it does, and probably more frequently and with more intensity than to those that are new in the faith. However, we can’t escape the expectation that experience should breed maturity.

Folks are going to try and get under our skin, and this can be particularly true in the workplace; especially when we proclaim to be Christians. In some respects we will be targets, and people will look to us to respond differently under stressful situations. We should know this. It’s not that we can behave perfectly 24/7, we’re going to get upset from time to time, but we can never forget that there’s a standard that we are to uphold.

In Leviticus 20:26 (NLT), God told the children of Israel, “You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.”  They did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit that you and I have; Jesus Christ had not been born to redeem their sins, and still we see very clearly that God commanded them to be holy and set apart, because He is holy and set apart; there is none like Him.

God’s holiness is His glory, and the privilege that He’s given us to be associated with Him is too awesome for words to describe. We’re in His family. That alone should inspire us to set ourselves apart in holiness. Some folks will look at this and say, “Oh, that’s too much for me. I can’t live up to that standard because I make too many mistakes.” Well, God is ALL Mighty. He actually IS perfect, and He doesn’t make mistakes. He would not have told us to be holy and set apart if we could not achieve it.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10 (NLT), “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” In and of ourselves, we can do nothing. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ tells us this in John 15:5, but the story changes once we begin to live, talk, and walk in him. It is because of the sacrifice of our precious and powerful Lord and Savior that you and I can be holy. We cannot make ourselves holy, it is God who does this for us.

The only suitable payment for all that God has given us is to live through the love of Christ each and every day. This is a sheer delight all the way around. But many Christians forget it. They allow the harsh realities of life to taint their hearts and cause them to forget the hope that is in Christ. This is what happens when we become so focused and consumed on what is happening TO us that we lose a grip on what has happened IN us through the love of Christ. We forget that Romans 12:2(NKJV) tells us, “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Renewing our minds dictates that we allow the Word of God to penetrate our hearts to such a degree that it molds our decisions, steers our choices, and governs our actions. This means that when others lose it, we remain poised and cool. Where others gossip, we offer a word of encouragement. When everybody else runs left, we get quiet and wait for the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Yes, we’re different and we’ve been called to be. We don’t sweat the small stuff because we recognize that God is working within us to will and do of His good pleasure. We remain confident, not because of our own ability, but because we’ve been on this Christian journey long enough to have a firsthand witness that God doesn’t forsake His people.

God admonishes us in Colossians 3:10 (NLT), “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”  God didn’t tell us that He would put on our new nature for us. He commanded that we get into His Word, learn about our blessed Lord and Savior, and take on his nature—his way of doing things.

No, being holy doesn’t mean that we are not going to make mistakes, but it does mean that we are spiritually mature enough to yield to the spirit of Christ within. The Apostle Paul encourages us to do this in 2Corinthians 7:1 (NLT): “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” We need to always be mindful of the promises that our Heavenly Father has not only made, but kept from the very beginning. We can rest in the confidence that He will never leave us or forsake us. He’ll never let us down. When we really, truly believe this, nothing will knock off us off our guard, and we’ll maintain the privilege and call to be holy and set apart. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.