Be Holy
by Katie Harding on August 15, 2022
What does it mean to be holy? The Apostle Peter said, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God—who chose you to be his children—is holy” (1 Peter 1:15). Being holy is usually defined as being set apart, but have you ever wondered who you are to be set apart from?
Perhaps the real question, though, isn’t who but what?
Jesus didn’t set Himself apart from others. He noticed people everywhere He went and often engaged with those suffering most, especially those who were considered sinners by the Pharisees. He instructed us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, so we will resemble our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44). Asking who we are to be set apart from can make us compare ourselves with others rather than coming alongside them, even in our prayers.
Who is also not what Peter had in mind in encouraging us to be holy. When Peter said, “be holy in everything you do,” he was actually focusing on the what and not the who. And he clarified the what with, “Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil…”
Knowledge of evil is what God set Adam and Eve apart from in the garden, and evil is what God has set Himself apart from since the beginning of time. In Him, there is no darkness at all. Isaiah said that by the time Jesus was old enough to eat curds and honey, He knew enough to choose the good and refuse the evil (Isaiah 7:15). If we are to “be holy as God is holy,” then we must be mindful to set ourselves apart from evil, as well — to choose the right and reject the wrong like Jesus, in our actions and reactions.
“We must be mindful to choose the right and reject the wrong in our actions and reactions.”
So, why is it important be holy as God is holy? Because God has given His children (us) the task of carrying out His purpose to the world. We are to be bearers of His Light (Jesus) to the nations and bring His salvation (deliverance from sin) to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6b). And if we’re going to light up the darkness in the spheres of influence where God has placed us, then our lives must reflect the One we follow.
Therefore, “Be holy as God is holy.”