How can people become holy?

"You shall be holy for I am holy." said God to ancient Israel (Leviticus 11:44) Not only did God expect holiness of those people, but He expects it of Christians too. Peter repeated God's command: "Be holy, for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16)http://biblehub.com/kjv/1_peter/1.htm
That implied more than just being set apart. In the context of both Leviticus and I Peter, it includes living in a special way that is different from the rest of the world.

To live that special way, we need to be and can be partakers Of God's holiness (Hebrews 12:10) Christians should be more like God from day to day. And then in the first resurrection be literally like Him (I John 3:2).

God has selected His servants and called them to come out of this world, to be different and separate from the rest of the world, Jesus said, "I have given them Your word: and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John  17:14-16).

The Christian must live in this present evil world, but his life must he different from the lives of other people in the world. He or she must come out from any of this world's ways that are sinful or evil out from the religious and spiritual "'Babylon" that is this whole world (Revelation 18:4).

Christians should be different because, as Paul said, "You were bought at a price" (I Corinthians 6:20)   That price, Christ's sacrifice, makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our past sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. But, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9).

When a person receives the Holy Spirit, he or she becomes a holy temple: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you.'' (I Corinthians 3:16). We receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38). But what does it mean to repent? It means to be deeply and sincerely sorry for past sins, to ask God's forgiveness and to turn around and determine to quit sinning. When we quit sinning, we begin to obey God's spiritual law as sin is the transgression of that law (1 John 4-4). God will only give His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5-32).

 

Pastor Rolando Ramos

www.fghconline.com