William Blake, author and artist, once stated, “It is not because angels are holier than men or devils that makes them angels, but because they do not expect holiness from one another, but from God only.” When the term “holy” is used in relation to the attitude and behavior of a professing Christian the spectrum of definitions and the assortment of mental images of “holy” are as diverse as the meaning of “spiritual” let’s say. Nevertheless, when grasping the proposal that holiness means being identifiably distinct from the mundane and the profane and the predominance of the will of self and secular society, then holy can be rightly understood as God-centered living rather than functioning in a merely human-influenced lifestyle.
Is the motivation for adopting a way of life that embraces Bible-based principles a matter of complying with the requirements of a particular religious denomination? Is it practiced as a way of fitting in with people whose respect and friendship you desire? Could it be that your choice to live a Christian life regarded by most as “strict” a means to earn God’s grace? Such issues beg the question: “Would I yearn to live a holy life if it were not for the expectations of other people?” Blake’s comment regarding the source of angelic holiness is the same from which the practice of holiness for human beings begins and continues. The primary reason for living by God’s revealed standards is not by comparison with other people but by taking our signals from the Almighty. Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy once said, “The great ideas are the simple ideas” and this is true of the ideal that God conveys to us. “Be ye holy even as I am holy”, a simple statement recorded in Leviticus 7:20 and repeated in I Peter 1:16, seems to be regarded as reason enough by the One who stated it for men and women to live holy lives. The expectation to reflect the character of God needs no further argument to legitimize it or qualify it than God’s own mandate. God’s character as revealed in the Bible is based on His flawless attributes, most of which can be said to flow out of holiness, His most distinguishing trait and most awesome feature. No wonder, then, that the Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos and the people who inhabit it should insist on anything less than compliance with His qualities. As a matter of fact, to expect anything less would be contradictory to His person and purpose.
The phrase used in Psalm 86 and Jeremiah 10 regarding God says it plainly and says it about as well as it can be said, “There is none like you.” The contexts of this statement clearly indicate that the uniqueness of the God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present qualifies Him as not only the supreme determiner of what is right and wrong but also the matchless model from which we draw our inspiration to reflect His character. That’s what this thing called holiness is really all about. It lies at the heart of the “why” issue when it comes to getting a grip on statements such as, “ 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” (Romans 12:2 NASB).