*¹ἅγιος (hagios). adj. holy, set apart, consecrated, dedicated, saints.

 

Made Holy by Christ

The Lord is Holy. He is otherly. He is set apart from His creation in His perfection, His glory, His splendor and majesty. When we are “born again” through faith in Jesus Christ we are given a new identity – we become children of God and a royal priesthood. Because He is holy, His children who follow Him are to be holy also. If we are walking in alignment with our new identity in Christ, we will increasingly become representatives of His ways and character and to some degree of the power of His Spirit. Even the physical things we use can become consecrated and holy unto Him when they are no longer used for common purposes, but solely for His glory.

A Priestly Calling

As followers of Christ, redeemed by Him, we are, as Isaiah says, a “kingdom of priests to our God.” And as Peter states in 1 Peter 2:9,

*9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 If we who belong to Jesus Christ are called priests, and holy, ought we not to behave in a manner befitting of who we are? Not from a desire to look perfect, but as the result of the inner transforming work of Christ in our heart as we obey the Spirit and are changed by His word.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 4:1 to

* 1 walk in a manner worthy of your calling.

A priest’s life is dedicated in service to His God and in representing His God to people and bringing them to Him. This is our calling as Christians. To be dedicated to our Lord and to represent Christ in all we do.

Transforming Holiness

But even though we have a new identity in Christ, walking in that identity requires transformation.

Romans 12:1-2 says the following:

*1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

“The renewing of your mind” is a process that occurs chiefly through surrender to the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, frees us from wrong mindsets and bondages, and empowers us to live in the new way the Lord is calling us to.

When we read the Word of God and simply humble ourselves by laying down our own will, submitting ourselves to the will of the Lord, He transforms us.

When we become saved, our nature changes. When we grow in the Lord, our perspectives and character change.

We were unclean in our sin, but having been washed clean and made new by Jesus Christ we are now being “transformed from glory to glory” and becoming holy to the Lord. This process is called sanctification; the process of being set apart.

It’s the idea that, although we  haven’t “arrived”, there is evidence in our life and character of God’s shaping and changing us into the image of His Son. It’s a process that should never stop as long as we are alive in these physical bodies!

Common Things Become Consecrated

As God continues shaping me I’m learning that even physical things can hold spiritual significance. Meaning, if I submit all of the actions of my life to be glorifying to the Lord, I can increasingly set apart the physical activities and instruments of even my daily life as “Holy to the Lord.” They become no longer “common” to me, but are set apart for the Lord’s purposes as I present them to Him to use for His glory.

I have a favorite verse in Zechariah 14  that says in part,

Every cooking pot…will be holy to the LORD of hosts…

The word of God gives us insight into the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and His restoration of all things as His people and even the creation itself are brought out into freedom from the curse brought about by the first man’s sin in Genesis. What makes this verse so beautiful to me is the idea that even common things will become holy because they are purified by, and dedicated to,  the Lord.

This blog is an example of this in the here and now. If I dedicate my writing to the Lord, it is set apart for the purpose of glorifying Him. Here are some other previously unspiritual, common things have become Holy to the Lord in my life – my plans, the direction of my life, my possessions, my abilities. All these I dedicate to the Lord for Him to make use of as He sees fit. 1 Corinthians 10:31 perfectly sums up how I approach life now:

*31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Do ALL to the glory of God. Whoa! Does this sound like the actions and life befitting a priest? Absolutely! Will we fall short? Yes. But the idea in this life is one of progression. Take heart friend.

Future Perfection

It is God who is making us perfect as we look to Him. One day our heart and actions will be in perfect alignment with who we are (our identity) in Christ. Philippians 3:20-21 says,

*20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Similarly, 1John 3 says,

*2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

How encouraging is that? Someday the race of faith will be finished. Someday our sanctification and transformation will be brought to completion by the Lord. We will be like Him in character and nature. We will be set free completely from any final chains of sin or struggle that occur in this life.

O let us fix our hope on Christ, the only One who gives eternal life and a new identity in Him, the One who makes us a royal priesthood and who brings us along the journey of sanctification as He makes us holy and changes the common things in our lives into holy things. The One who will one day transform us into perfection that we may have perfect fellowship and communion with our God and dwell with Him and serve Him. Come near to Him and surrender the hidden places of your heart that you may walk in holiness, worthy of your calling now, while awaiting the perfection of the future. ❤️

*¹Kwok, Hon-Lee. 2014. “Holiness.” In Lexham Theological Wordbook, edited by Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, and Rebekah Hurst. Lexham Bible Reference Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

*New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman F