God’s call to holiness is not optional for any believer. Holiness is the standard God set for us in the beginning and continues to expect from us (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15–16). When we love the Father, we will desire to do what pleases Him because we all want to be counted like Paul when we die (2 Timothy 4:7).
We all want to run the race well and hear Jesus speak the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter into my rest” (Matthew 25:21). We dare not approach Heaven with stained garments uncleansed by the sacrificial blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Sanctification always follows true repentance, so if we aren’t concerned with holiness, it is hard to conceive of our repentance as genuine.
God’s call to holiness means we must be holy in all our conduct. We can’t be holy in some of our dealings and actions and less holy in others. That’s the thing about holiness; it’s an all-or-nothing concept. We are either pursuing it or rebelling against it (James 4:17; Romans 6:12-13). Every sight you allow your eyes to see, every sound you open your ears to, and every activity to which you set your hands is going to be a choice between holiness and unholiness (Psalm 101:3; Philippians 4:8). Every moment of your life is a decision to heed God’s call or reject it (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Galatians 5:16-17).
What holiness isn’t is a list of do’s and don’ts we must follow (Colossians 2:20-23). To be holy is to look like Jesus. The more we look like Him, the holier we are becoming (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The way to accomplish this is to keep your focus always and only on Him (Hebrews 12:1-2). Only the things we think, say, and do that are consistent with what Jesus would think, say, and do are beneficial to our ongoing sanctification. Anything else is an offense to God and a blight on our character (1 Thessalonians 4:7). By definition, those things that are against God cannot lead us closer to God (1 John 2:15-17).
God’s call to holiness is unrelenting, and so must our fight be against sin (James 4:7; 2 Timothy 2:22). Every day will bring fresh temptations, so we must always be ready to do battle. The purity of righteousness is worth our struggle. It is worth the pain of resistance. Never has there been a more worthy war than the one we all wage every day against the powers and principalities of this world (Ephesians 6:12-13). Victory over sin results in the reward of communion with Jesus (John 14:21; Revelation 3:20). There is nothing better than that!
Are you submitting to God’s call to holiness, or just taking life as it comes? You cannot live the Christian life without intention. Pursuing God requires deep, persistent focus. It requires you to choose every moment whether you will live for God’s glory or the pleasures of this world (Romans 12:1-2). The choice is black and white, and it’s all yours. Does Jesus mean more to you than anything else? Prove it. Heed God’s call to holiness in everything you think, say, and do. Fix your eyes on Jesus and glorify Him every second of your life. This must be the goal of everyone who claims Jesus as Lord.