I'm not talking about piety. I'm not talking about works in a way that leads us to be justified before God either...although working is a part. What I'm talking about is holiness as a reflection of who God is.
I'm currently reading Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt. It's for our denominations credentialing process, but I'm finding it very helpful. Not quite through, but what struck me as I was reading so far was how our call to be holy is not necessarily a sense of being set apart. This is what I had interpreted to be before. We are God's and therefore we are set apart. However, it has to do with much more than just a state of being set apart. It has to do with how our character reflects that of God.
Leviticus 19 is an entire chapter devoted to holiness and what it means. You know what some of the things that describe holiness are? What do you think...prayer? Meditation? Reading the Torah (still being written at that time)? No. It's honor your parents. It's not taking advantage of people. It's giving your workers the wages they are due. It has to do with character.
So when God initiates the effort to bring himself to us...to bring us salvation...it is more than just salvation as we think. He wants us to represent. He wants us to reflect His character and the things He's about. We change. We become more like Him. That's why it's so important to me as I read the pages of Scripture to look for the character of God. What's He like? That question then defines my pursuits of what I need to be like. God must work through me...refine me...to be more like him.
Take a read of Leviticus 19 and think of how you think of holiness. It'll challenge your character.
