“…Be holy, for I am holy” (l Peter 1:16 ) and “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy…” (Leviticus 11:44) are two commands by God that are very difficult to obey. Yet, there they are in God’s Word. The question by many who read such passages is this, “But how can I be holy like God?” The Bible tells me that the reason why I must trust and obey Christ is because I’m not holy. “All have sinned,” Paul wrote in Romans 3:23. So, how can I ever think about being holy as God is?
One of many ways to pursue being holy as God is holy is to notice the list that Jesus offered in Matthew 5. To be a holy person, living a kingdom style kind of life, will result in having a blessed and happy life. Both go hand in hand.
Poor in spirit, recognizing our desperate need for God
Mourning, realizing the awfulness of sin and being genuinely sorry for it
Meek, demonstrating self-control even when we are mistreated
Hungry and thirsty for righteousness, longing to be holy and pure
Merciful, showing mercy to others just as God shows mercy to us
Pure in heart, being single-minded and sincere in our devotion to Christ
Peacemaker, sharing the peace that Christ offers and promoting peace with others
Persecuted, being willing to suffer for Christ’s sake
Walk each day in these steps and you will perfect your walk with God and be closer to Him in holiness and happiness.
