God is holy, elevated above his creation

• "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6v3)
• Since holiness embraces every attribute of Godhead, it may be defined as the outshining of all that God is. As the sun's rays, combining all the colours of the spectrum, come together in the sun's shining and blend into light, so in his self-manifestation all the attributes of God come together and blend into holiness. (The New Bible Dictionary)

Holy = reserved for God, consecrated

• The Old Testament priests, temple & content were considered holy
• "the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20v11)

Holy = special, chosen

• God's people are called "saints" (holy ones) in the New Testament
• "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7v6; 14v2)
• "I am the LORD, who makes you holy." (Exodus 31v13)
• "For he chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ…" (Ephesians 1v4-5)

Holiness – rejoice in who you are in Christ

• We need to absorb the wonderful truth that God has made us his own, chosen us, in Jesus, who died to reconcile us with him.
• This will give us a right assurance of God's love & commitment.

Holiness = moral & spiritual excellence

• "Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15v4)
• "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5v48)
  • Love your enemies, not just your friends, as God is good to everyone
• "'But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1v15-16) (Peter is here quoting from Leviticus)

Cultivating Holiness – God's part

• God wants to help us grow more holy (morally excellent, pure, Christ-like)
• "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." (1 Thessalonians 4v7)
• "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5v25-27)

The Holy Spirit is given to help us grow more holy

• "The fruit of the Spirit is love….." (Galatians 5v22)

Cultivating Holiness – our part

• We must co-operate with the Holy Spirit
• "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel." (Colossians 1v22-23)
• "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3v12-14)
• "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12v14-15)

The Duke of Windsor quoted his father as admonishing him for bad behaviour with the words, "My dear boy, you must always remember who you are."
In what ways are these helpful in reminding us of how we should live if we are children of God?

• God says, "Be holy, because I am holy."