“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16
There was a time when Churchgoers were unashamedly and unapologetically portrayed as “Holy Rollers, Bible Thumpers, Religious Fanatics, and Jesus Freaks". The believer’s badge of honor and calling card use to be their weird uniqueness and stark differences that separated the saints from secular society. However, this new 21st century religion is both “vanilla” and lukewarm, because churches are now overly concerned with adjusting themselves in order to assimilate to this current, counter-Christian culture. The people of God are becoming increasingly more interested in being politically correct and non-offensive, while going out of their way to be "seeker-sensitive" friendly, and all-inclusive. Instead of operating like a mission rescuing prisoners of war behind enemy lines, the church more resembles an exotic resort entertaining and pampering its paying guests. The church is quickly and quietly acquiescing and becoming camouflaged on the canvas of American Culture. This keeps the contemporary congregation from maintaining its historic and thermostatic prowess and has reduced it to a thermometric ministry. Meaning, it is becoming more difficult to differentiate the people of the world, (non-Christians & non-church goers) from the People of the Way.
The church's calling has never been to conform to the world. The church has always been called forth and called out to transform the world. The church is called to be Holy because its creator and sustainer is holy. God is holy and everything about God is holy! All of God's attributes are holy. God is the "holy other". He’s pure. He’s perfect. He's love. He's light. He has no trace of sin. He has no darkness or shadow of turning. There is never a need for re-branding our God, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. Who is like our God? All of God's activities are holy. No one or nothing else can do the things He does! Who else would do the wonderful things He has done? Who else could love you unconditionally, forgive you wholeheartedly, and give to you freely and abundantly from his extravagance? God hates sin, but He loves sinners. Who does that? We are called to do that! We are summoned to be separate and set apart from the world. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. We are called to be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. You are a part of an exclusively inclusive club called holiness. Entrance into this club is where and when you are most like God. It is your fellowship with God that fuels your fire to be more like God.
Holiness is one of those words that can be abused and misused by the church. Too often it is relegated to what you adorn instead of who you adore. But Holiness has more to do with what is in you, than what is on you. If you have the right stuff on the inside of you, He'll make sure you have the right stuff on the outside of you. Holy literally means to be set apart. To live holy means to stand in direct opposition of assimilation, inclusiveness, and “getting in where you fit in”. You need not be ashamed of being different in every aspect of living. It is time for you to stand up and step out from the crowd. Here is the crux of the whole matter: Since God is holy, to walk holy is to live a Godly life. This starts by being filled with the spirit of God, by placing your trust and faith in the son of God, Jesus Christ, standing solely and being saturated by truth found in the word of God, being surrounded by the people of God at your local church, praying fervently for the will of God, working faithfully in the house of God, and serving fearlessly in the world of God by showing the love of God to your brother man.
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