By Dr. Ted Baehr
“But as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
– 1 Peter 1:15-16
Holiness, or being set apart by God’s grace, is a prerequisite to having His new life overflow the boundaries of our being through the power of His Holy Spirit, so that those who come in conduct with us will cry out, “These men are servants of the Most High God” (Acts 16:17). Since He is holy, His Spirit resides in us only if we are holy.
As we all know, holiness is both a gift from God and a decision to be obedient by us. Our holiness glorifies Him and witnesses to His Son, our Savior, Jesus, the Christ. The process of our sanctification, by which we are made holy, takes a lifetime of His grace, yet we are set apart as holy the moment of our salvation, a moment known by Him before the beginning of time and affected for us by His death and resurrection. At this moment in history, however, we are living in an age of double-speak, contradiction, and hypocrisy, and it is important that we, as His ambassadors, continually choose holiness in spite of the powerful temptations to live in spiritual contradiction.
Being a communicator, I wrestle with God’s Word written so that I can communicate it. I am confronted every few months by a passage of Scripture which forces me to reform my worldview. Acts 16:17, where the slave girl cries out, “These men are servants of the Most High God,” is an example. How often when you or I pass do people cry out, “there go the servants of the Most High God”? If not, why not? We are His servants: doesn’t it show? What would distinguish us in the eyes of the world as His servants?
Clearly, wealth is not the answer, since the apostles who passed the slave girl had no material possessions, and there are many people with wealth who are not holy (although you can be wealthy and holy). Success is not the answer, since people recognized the apostles as holy even after they were thrown into prison, having failed to pass through Philippi without being arrested for disturbing the peace. Obeying His Law would, of course, set us apart; but, in the case of Acts 16:17, the slave girl cried out as the apostles were passing her, not while they were performing some distinctly Christian act.
So, what should distinguish us as holy in the eyes of the world? In the story of Paul and Silas in prison at Philippi, they are distinguished by their praying and singing hymns (Acts 16:25), and the subsequent earthquake visibly demonstrates that God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3). Throughout the Bible God has given us a very clear statement of His Will for us which should distinguish us wherever we go and whatever we are doing, that is:
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
– 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Isn’t it likely that the slave girl noticed the disciples not only because she had an evil spirit (Do the evil spirits cry out as we pass?), but also because they were joyful, prayerful, and giving thanks in all circumstances? Their attitude, their state of being, set them apart from those who were of the world.
To live in joy, prayer, and thanksgiving is a tall order to say the least, but that is the state of being which should distinguish us whether we are alone with God, or with others whom we can love as we love ourselves. This statements of God’s Will for us does not contradict His other commands; rather, it describes the attitude, or pathos, we will have as we obey His law if we allow His Holy Spirit to live in us. A conscious decision to be joyous and praise Him shifts our perspective from ourselves to Him, allowing Him to lift up His Name in our lives.
We live in a fallen world. If we forget the sinfulness of mankind, the news will quickly remind us. However, we must not live in contradiction by compromising with the world system because being holy means acting in accordance with our beliefs, in accordance with God’s law.
We must not give the appearance of evil; rather, as Christians, we must be pure and holy, acting in unity with His Will and His Law.
Communication shapes civilization. Jesus, the Word, calls us to communicate His Good News. One could say that we are what we communicate: sex, violence, and corruption or joy, prayers, and thanksgiving. Not only our ethos, but also our pathos, attitude, and being, must be holy.
“Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. Love one another warmly as Christian brothers, and be eager to show respect for one another. Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.
“Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourself as wise…Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.”
– Romans 12:9-16, 21
Are we obeying Him to that degree that we communicate with His holiness, and people cry our as we pass, “These men are the servants of the Most High God!”?
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
– 1 Peter 2:9
Let us pray:
Father:
Help us to walk in Your blessed holiness, so that people will cry out “There go the servants of the Most High God,” and will know that You are our Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen.
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