Be Ye Holy

1 Peter 1:15-16 states, "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"

The question that comes to my mind after reading these verses is, "How can I be holy like God?"  This seems to be such an impossible thing for anyone.  Rev. 15:4 states that God ALONE is holy.  The Greek definition of "holy" is "sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--saint."  

This definition makes me feel no better because I am not morally blameless.

So, how could God possibly expect us to be holy as He is holy... especially if He alone is holy?  Well, what helped me was 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.  It states, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."  

We see here that we are "housing" the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are proclaimed holy by grace.  No, we are not perfect... but by His grace... He makes us holy.  2 Timothy 1:9 states, "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"  Notice it is not our works (good or bad) that can make us holy.  It is by His grace and by His Spirit that He expects us to live up to this holy calling.

So when we meditate on the truth that God wants us to be holy, don't bum out and believe that you are not "worthy" enough to live a holy life.  Don't believe the whispers of the enemy when he tells you that you cannot be holy.  Remember who is in us... the HOLY Spirit!!! Because of this grace, you are holy and we can accomplish holy things for the glory of God.