Being Wholly Holy

I don't know about you but I have found that when God continually deals with me on a particular subject or thought that is an area that most needs to be further strengthened or more committed to Him.  Lately, I've been pondering a lot about being separated (2 Corinthians 6:17) and holy unto God (Romans 12:1).  

What does it mean to be holy?  Does it mean that we follow all the rules?  Certainly not, for we can follow all the rules and not be holy.  Holy has the idea of being completely separate unto God.  But don't misunderstand... we can separate ourselves completely from the things of the world; but if we stay there it's a very boring, legalistic life.  Furthermore, we can separate from the things that are wicked and wrong for our own glory; like the Pharisees of the New Testament, and it will mean nothing to God.

Holiness is separating from the world in order to be separated unto God.  It's a heart issue. It's recognizing Him as having infinite worth above all else; thus we separate our lives unto Him.  It involves passion... esteem and worth.  We have judged Him to be infinitely more worthy than anything or anyone else and so we drop those things that keep us from Him and run to Him.

You see, it's not about doing the  right thing.  It's not about saying that we love Him.  It is loving Him for who He is... and doing so with a passion.  It's not about moral regulations.  It's not about treating God like an impersonal thing.  God is a person.  He can be grieved.  So holiness is not about doing all the right things or abstaining from the wrong things .  Holiness is when we say to God, "The only reason that I run from these things is because I want to run to you!"

Here's the deal: When we truly have a new relationship with God... an intimacy and a passion for Him like never before... we too will have a new relationship with everything else.  Those things to which we once cleaved, we will abandon in favor of God.

To be absolutely clear... offering our lives a holy and living sacrifice is not about forsaking the things of the world so that we can be in God's good graces.  It's not about doing the right things so that we can go to heaven.  It's saying to God, "I no longer present my members to the things of the world so that I may present my members to you!"  It's called a sacrifice; for indeed it is one.

You see, the subject of dying to the world is foreign to most Christians and a taboo teaching in most churches.  The thought of sacrificing all to God and not craving the things of this world is a morbid-almost 'monkish'-sackcloth and ashes-kind-of-existence to most Christians.  But those who loose their life shall find it (Matthew 10:39); for He came to bring life in abundance (John 10:10).  When we stand before God, the only regret that we should have is that we have not given Him more! 

God, help me to abandon the 'foreign gods' of my life and run in hot pursuit of You.  Help me to walk away from those things that keep me from you.  Lord, I want to be wholly holy.  Help me to do that... not out of obligation or what I might gain... but out of pure love for You.