Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holyFor God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Holiness is the quality or characteristic of being pure or clean in body, mind and spirit. God describes himself as holy and demands that those who belong to Him be holy as well. But how can God make such a high demand on mere human beings? How can we be as holy as God? Is it possible? Yes, if God requires us to be holy, then it is possible.
In Leviticus, God told Moses to tell the children of Israel to be holy as He is holy. In the New Testament, holiness is a subject that is addressed extensively particularly in the epistles of Saint Paul. In the scripture passage we have quoted above, Paul told the Thessalonian believers that God had not called them to uncleanness but to holiness.
The subject of holiness is shunned by many preachers in the church today. It is one of those no-go areas in preparation of sermons by many Pastors. Who after all wants to lose important church members who are pillars and financial supporters of the church by preaching about holiness?
We live in the age talked about by Paul in I Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap for themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. God has called us to holiness. The Holy Spirit living in us enables us to walk in holiness. It is not our own efforts or power that enables us to live holy lives. So, let us all endeavor to walk in holiness for the glory of God