What is Holy Anyway?

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3)

Webster defines HOLY as living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system, being specified or set apart for a religious purpose, being devout, sanctified, sacred, revered. What does HOLY look like to you?

I like the words being specified or set apart, in this case for God’s purposes! Peter defines it well.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…(1 Peter 2:9)

So HOLY doesn’t mean that we walk around in sackcloth, or chanting prayers constantly, or locking ourselves away in the caves somewhere. We are called to exclaim and display God’s praises and His mercy toward us as we live our daily lives. We are to live peculiar lives, in that they do not conform to the world’s standards, but to the high and holy standards of our great God! Our speech should be encouraging to others and reflecting the gentleness and love of our Lord. Our actions should express the grace of God and genuine care and concern for our fellow man. Our private life should be that which if it exposed for all to see, would be an example of high morals and ethics, pleasing to a holy God as well as to the common man.

Holy Week is a time to examine the other 51 weeks in our lives. Are we living a life that reflects a devotion to God, so others can see we have been set apart from the world’s standards? Are we living out God’s purposes, so as to draw others to the Light of the world? Now is also a time to commit to do just that! If we have failed, praise God for His mercy, because there is time to start today! I pray this can be a time of reflection so we may make changes in our lives to indeed be HOLY! A dying world is watching!!!

…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.’(1 Peter 1:15-16)