The realistic expectation of holiness seems to be pure foolishness. For we know who we are. Most of us are amazed that the Lord will talk to us—let alone call us to Himself. For we certainly are not worthy. Many days it seems absurd, for I must offend him greatly.

Yet, while I was a sinner, in the midst of my depravity, He called me. I was certainly looking everywhere I could find that didn’t include Him. I was even arrogant enough to tell my earthly father, “I can see Jesus works for you, but He doesn’t for me.” How can I possibly expect holiness in my life?

The realistic expectation of holiness is found in His provision

We already accept that Jesus is our righteousness. That’s hard enough to grasp. Yet we learn that by faith, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, righteousness becomes part of us. It’s the result of giving Him control.

However, holiness  normally seems impossible

But the key to that is found in Peter’s quote from Leviticus 11:

You shall be Holy, for I am holy. [I Peter 1: 16]

In Leviticus, it is written as a command. In Peter, we see it as a revelation. We shall be Holy, because He is Holy, and He lives inside us now.

We give Him the authority over our life, and the result [from His presence] is our lives become holy [hagios]. In the epistles, Paul refers to us as saints, which is usually the same word, hagios. Saints can be translated as the Holy Ones.

Strong’s defines holy as: sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless, ceremonially, consecrated or set apart). Pure and blameless is something Jesus has done for us and within us. Consecrated is what we are asked to do. In my favorite verse: we are told to “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God” [Romans 12:1]

It’s the primary need at this time in history

If you have not done this yet— do it now. You’re of little or no use in the Kingdom until you have taken this simple step. You present your physical self as a living sacrifice, and He makes it holy. Then you are prepared for use. Then Jesus can do something with you.

Do it now. Time has nearly run out. It’s a time-limited deal.