Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
When I was growing up, I had several misconceptions about baptism. Although I was raised attending church services and Bible classes, no one had ever explained it to me. For example, I thought that if you sinned after you were baptized, you somehow tainted your salvation. Consequently, I would practice how long I could go without sinning to see if I was ready to be baptized. A day, perhaps two, would pass. By the third day, though, I would inevitably mess up and realize that I was not ready for baptism.
Of course, we know that this is not the reality of baptism or the life that follows. Striving for holiness does not mean perfection or that we will never sin. It is a lifestyle, a direction in which we walk. A certain preacher repeatedly says, “Repentance is linear.” I would venture to include holiness in that category as well. If it were to be depicted on a graph, pursuing holiness is not represented by a single line shooting straight upward toward heaven, but rather a line that zigzags while moving in the upward direction.
If something is holy, it is set apart, sacred, dedicated, or consecrated to God. In short, holiness for Christians means that we are different and devoted: different from the world and devoted to God.
Different. Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any king of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” Philippians 2:15 exhorts us to be “blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” As Christians, we should look different from the world. We should not dress like the world, in revealing clothing that is sensual in nature or calls attention to our bodies. We should not sound like the world, whether in foul language, coarse joking, or speech that is dishonoring to God. We should not act like the world in our decisions and conduct. We should not find ourselves fitting in with worldly people because “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Instead, we should look like our God who calls us to be holy in all we do because he is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).
Devoted. According to Ephesians 5:26-27, Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” A wife is supposed to keep herself pure for her husband and vice versa. Likewise, we as the church and the bride of Christ need to keep ourselves pure for Him. 2 Corinthians 7:1 teaches that we should “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” There should be nothing evil or impure within us because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Imagine the saints in heaven from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They are wearing white robes that represent their purity. To be holy as Christians, we are to be wholly devoted to God (pun intended). Colossians 3 :17 says, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
When we obeyed the call in Acts 22:16 to “get up, be baptized, wash [our] sins away, calling on His name,” we committed to pursuing holiness. Let us allow our pursuit of holiness to redefine us as different from the world and devoted to God.