Let’s Get Back on the Road to Holiness  

One day recently we went to visit our daughter and her family. The entrance to their subdivision has two one-lane roads separated by an island in the middle. One road is for entering the subdivision, while the other one is for exiting. However, on this occasion the entrance lane was blocked due to roadwork being done. Therefore, we were directed to drive the wrong way in the exit lane while a worker made sure no traffic was approaching from the opposite direction. I drove in and out of the subdivision several times throughout that day, having to take this unusual detour each time. Late in the day as I turned into the subdivision one last time, I once again headed into the exit lane. Only this time a worker frantically waved me down and stopped me. I hadn’t noticed that they had actually opened up the entrance road again. I had grown so accustomed to going the wrong way that I had failed to notice that the right way was available.

I’m afraid that a lot of individuals, as well as the church as a whole, have become so used to going the wrong way in some matters that we can’t even recognize the right way anymore. While there may be many examples of this, I believe one area involves our being a holy people and a holy church. The Bible tells us to “pursue…holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). It also states, “as He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (I Peter 1:15-16). While it may not be unusual for us to declare that God is holy, we also need to recapture the idea that this concept should describe us as individual believers and as the church. We are called to be a holy people.

What does it mean for us to be holy? It means that we are set apart, different, and devoted to God. It also carries the idea of purity or of being like God. I’m concerned that we’ve lost that sense of being different from the world around us. Too many professing Christians aren’t pursuing being more like Jesus or don’t even think it’s a possibility. We may talk about the fact that God sees His born-again children as holy because He sees Christ’s holiness in us, but we lose sight of the other truth that there should also be a real change taking place in our character and conduct. That scripture in I Peter doesn’t tell us to be holy in our standing in Christ, but to be holy in our conduct – to be more pure, loving, and righteous in the way we’re actually living out our lives each day.

I believe the message of holiness is lacking in the church today. The important message of forgiveness is often there – that when we stumble and fall, if we repent, we will find a loving God ready to forgive us. However, we need the equally important message that we’re not just called to be forgiven, but to be cleansed, transformed, and be more like Jesus. I’m concerned about the constant idea being communicated that we can’t help but sin and that we’re not any different from those around us who don’t know Christ other than our being forgiven for all the bad things we do.

We’ve been called to holiness – to have a pure heart that translates into holy conduct. Let’s get on the right road and pursue letting God transform us more into the image of Jesus. Let’s seek to be the glorious, holy Bride He intends for His Church to be.