“LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. (Psalm 15:1-2)
"but He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1;15-16)
Have you ever had a problem with the fact that we are all called to be holy? It doesn’t mean that we are sinless because we never will be. It does mean that we have been set apart by God because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we are now His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and His royal priests (1 Peter 2:9) here on this earth. Not because of anything we have done but for all that He did on the cross!
In Bob Sorge’s book Secrets of the Secret Place, he does a great job of explaining “The secret of holiness.”
“Holiness isn’t latent or inherent to us. It’s derived, it’s something we take on. Only God is holy of Himself; every other creature around His throne is holy only because they’ve gotten close enough that His holiness had gotten on them.
Holiness is proximity to the throne.
Get in His presence, He’ll make you holy, too. Not because of who you are, but because of who He is. Not because of who you are, but because of where you are. You minister to the Holy One and now He’s making you holy. I used to define holiness by what we didn’t do, but now I see it derives from what we do do. Holiness isn’t found merely by not doing the works of the world; it’s found in drawing near to the holy flame on the throne. In His presence, anything unholy is burned away and all that’s left is holy, fiery love for the Son of God.
For the LORD God is a sun (Psalm 84:11). As my Sun, the Lord is my light, my warmth, and the One around whom my life revolves. His nearness brings forth fruit from the garden of my heart. His Spirit waters, His word nourishes, and His countenance warms in a way that causes the fruit of my life to grow. Like a planet around the sun, I want everything in my life to revolve around Christ. I don’t want to be a comet that swings by every 300 years only to return to darkness. And I don’t want to be Pluto, hanging on the furthest fringe. I want to be a Mercury—blazing with the same holy fire that radiates from His face.
Holiness isn’t clean living. Holiness is a life lived before the throne of God. Holy people cause kings to fear. That’s because they’re not just pure; they’re a living flame that stands at the throne of God.
If prayer is gasoline, holiness is the spark. When a holy man or woman prays, explosive things happen. Those who burn with a holy love for Jesus are influential in the courts of heaven. Like Elijah, they change things on earth by praying effective prayers that avail much (James 5:16)” (Bob Sorge Secrets pp. 140-143)
What an awesome summary of what it means to be holy and to be used by God to pray for the advancement of His kingdom! I highly recommend Bob Sorge’s book for anyone wishing to improve their prayer life in the “Secret Place”. Now, what has God placed on your heart to pray about? Get to it now!
PRAYER
1. Oh, Lord, how I long to know You more intimately and to know that You are my loving Father and precious Savior.
2. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may be ignited by Your fire to pray earnestly for those people You have put in my life.
3. Forgive me for my laziness and lack of desire to be about Your business in the home, workplace, and community where You have placed me.
4. Yes Lord, I want to be holy just as You are holy, and I know I can only do it if I draw near to You and completely abandon my selfish desires to pursue You, and Your kingdom today.
