Holiness to the LORD

1 Peter 1:15 and 16 say, "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"

What does it mean to be holy? It means devoted to the service of God, set apart for God alone.

Over 200 times in Scripture, holiness is seen as an attribute of God or is listed as part of His name. God is holy. To fully understand holiness, we must fully understand God. Apart from the Lord there is no holiness. Therefore everything that is apart from Him is unholy – there is no "in between" regarding holiness.

Revelation 1:6 says that we have been made priests unto God through Jesus. Being set apart for a priesthood is no small matter and the role should be taken seriously. In the Old Testament days the priests were cleansed and consecrated to the Lord before they began their priesthood - just as we are cleansed by Christ and set apart for Him before we can serve God. Back in the Old Testament the law showed pictured the spiritual through the physical commands. The priests were not allowed to serve when they had any defect, were marred, or even just had a scab. Once again, the physical requirements are a picture of the spiritual requirements for serving God, for coming before Him as holy. We must not be marred by sin. We must take care of our "scabs" or sins by coming before our Healer and asking His forgiveness. Serving as priests unto God it is necessary for us to avoid those things that will marr us and prevent us from service and close fellowship with our Lord and King.

In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded that the priests wore across their foreheads a sign which said, "Holiness to the Lord". We are priests under a new law and though we do not need to wear a sign that proclaims that we are a priest, holy and set aside for Christ's service that is exactly who we are.

You are a chosen one, set aside for the Lord's purpose, to be holy just as He is holy. Just as the priests daily put on the sign so we must continually practice holiness. The more we spen our time with the Lord the more we will reflect His holiness.

Today, remember that you are a priest, imagine yourself with a sign proclaiming your life as holy unto God. And live accordingly.

Great Living

"What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts." -Amy Carmichael

The Lord has been bringing to my attention more and more, how often and how easily for me it is to waste time.

Why do I spend time worrying when I should be praying? The Lord says, "Wait on Me. Trust Me."

Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." -Hebrews 13:15

Let us always spend more time seeking after God, and glorifying Him than we spend on anything else.

We have a short life. Let us surrender every area of it to the Giver of our Life! That is the secret to great living!

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