a surrendered life

For most of my life I misunderstood what the word “holy” meant. Nobody had ever explicitly explained it to me. The denomination of church that my family occasionally attended when I was a child focused a lot on rituals and memorized prayers. The word “holy” was used regularly, but I can’t recall ever hearing a sermon or Sunday School lesson that actually explained what the word meant. Consequently, I had to figure it out for myself based on the way I had heard the word used. Holy, I concluded, meant spotless, perfect, sinless, untainted, without any fault or flaw. Holy was what God was and God is perfect. So I reasoned that holy must mean perfect.

I don’t remember precisely how long it was after my conversion as an adult, that I first encountered the command God gives to be holy. And He didn’t just say it once. It is repeated multiple times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

I was dismayed that God expected me to be holy because He is holy. “But I’m not holy,” I thought. “I don’t know how to be holy. I’m just an imperfect, sinful person with so many flaws.” It felt like a hopeless, impossible goal. How could God ask that of me? Didn’t He know I wasn’t capable of it?

But God was generous and patient with me as I struggled with this command to “be holy.” It wasn’t long, not even a week, before He provided the clarification that I needed to understand what He was asking of me. During the sermon that Sunday at church, the pastor mentioned that the definition of “holy” is “someone or something that is set apart for a special or sacred purpose.” My first instinct, because I am a flawed, sinful human and at that time pride in my own understanding ruled over my every thought, was to assume that the pastor had misspoken or that he misunderstood. He was wrong. Can you imagine being that arrogant? It’s embarrassing to think about it now, but it’s true. So I went home and looked up what the word “holy” meant. I’d never done that before. It probably won’t surprise you to know that the pastor was correct. The meaning of the word “holy” is “set apart for God’s purpose.” Sometimes it is good to discover you were wrong about something. I think God uses those times to get our attention and teach us both humility and what He wants us to understand. It was a helpful lesson.

Suddenly, the command to “be holy because I am holy” made more sense. He wasn’t asking me to be as perfect as He is. God knows I cannot be completely sinless, at least not in this life. Instead, He was calling me to recognize my status as one set apart for His purposes. Recognizing that reality has had an impact on my ability to avoid sin. It helps me remember that my conduct matters because I am not just representing myself. I am set apart for Him! These verses emphasize that holiness is not only a command but also a calling for those who belong to God. Our holiness is a response to His holiness and grace.

To be holy means to be set apart for God, morally pure, and dedicated to His purposes. It is both a state of being. It is what God declares us to be in Christ. And it is a way of living. Holiness is what we pursue in obedience to Him. Yes, we can be imperfect and still be holy because holiness is not about flawlessness in human ability. It is about being set apart for God and pursuing a life that aligns with His will. Holiness can’t be earned. It is a position given by God through Christ. It’s a process we grow into as we walk with Him. So go be holy!