Leviticus 19:2 — "You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy."
Isaiah 57:15 — "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble."
Mark 12:29-30 — "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."
Holiness is not a religious performance or outward appearance. Holiness is a lifestyle — it is not optional for believers.
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Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2 NLT
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The word 'saint' comes from 'sanctify' — saints are the holy ones, those set apart. Many have confused holiness with legalism (what you wear, how you look). That is not biblical holiness.
God has many attributes: wisdom, love, power, justice — and we can point to people who reflect those.
But holiness belongs to God alone. You don't know anyone who is holy — only God has that nature. We are called to holiness because God is holy, not to earn it but to reflect His character.
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“The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.” ⁃ Proverbs 30:1-3 NLT
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“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.””
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“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” ⁃ Luke 1:26-35 NLT
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Jesus is Holy, we need to have the desire to live like Jesus.
The early church lived with urgency — they believed Jesus was coming soon. They sold everything and shared life together. When that urgency fades, holiness fades with it.
If you truly believed Jesus was coming tomorrow, you would live differently today. Like the parable of the 10 bridesmaids: 5 were ready, 5 were not. The church must stay ready.
Hell is real — Jesus spoke about it more than anyone because He created it and came to save us from it.
Eternity is forever. This life is temporary. What we do here has eternal consequences.
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“The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.”
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