Living Holy. It’s a big thought—maybe a scary one for some of us.
“Be holy, for I am holy,” says 1 Peter 1:16.
God is holy, perfect and awesome. How can we be like Him?
Is it by following all the rules? Do we have to transform ourselves in our own power?
The Pharisees thought that following all the rules would make them holy and acceptable to God, but when they encountered their Messiah face to face, they did not recognize true holiness (John 5:39-40).
The ultimate rule is “be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Is it designed to make us all failures, or is it that God in His wisdom knew the highest achievers would need a goal impossible in their own strength to bring them to their knees, asking for help?
God’s call to “be holy, for I am holy,” is not because He wants to trap us in our inadequacy, but because He wants us to reflect His glory and light, showing others the path to freedom. (1 Pet. 1:15–16) This will advance the kingdom far more than us following a bunch of rules.
Our hearts become more holy as they are caught up in God’s holiness and beauty. He is the deepest satisfaction of all we are longing for, far above the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Holiness isn’t boring, as some may think. It’s actually the highest form of life and pleasure.
“I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” Jesus says in John 10:10, after warning us that “the thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy.”
Pleasure outside of God will leads us to destruction. The devil offers counterfeit fulfillment in the form of sin, but this will never satisfy and will instead leave us hurt, wounded and worse off than when we started.
The good thing is that God has limitless pleasure and delight to reveal to us. As we place our unrenewed minds in His hands and ask for His delights, the Holy Spirit will come and reveal God’s exhilarating holiness. Nothing of sin can compare with the pleasures of knowing God (Prov. 3:15).
The revelation of Jesus, knowing Him deeply and personally, is the most superior pleasure of all.
And the more we, in fascination, seek to peer into the face of the Lord, no matter how dimly perceived, we ourselves are transformed into His likeness in holiness.
But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).
If you want to grow spiritually, go deeper in your Christian walk, or get free from addiction and sin, then holiness—fascination in God—is right for you.
Give yourself to being “wholly holy”—fully given over to God for His purposes. Allow Him total access to your life and ask Him to conform every part of you to Jesus. Feast on Christ’s holiness and beauty, which will fulfill the deepest longings of your heart. Freedom, life and great joy are found here.
For further study in this area, we recommend 7 Commitments for Spiritual Growth by Mike Bickle.
Question: In what area of life are you seeking breakthrough? How can God’s holiness help?
A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam Wittenberg worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at the International House of Prayer Kansas City. Adam is also active in evangelism and has a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Janet Perez Eckles 
Shawn Akers 
Abby Trivett 
