Week 5: Holiness  

• Key verses: Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 2:9
• The ordinariness of holiness
• Designated for a purpose
• Parting thoughts

Key verses

Leviticus 11:45 (NLT)

For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

The ordinariness of holiness

Context. Looking at the verses surrounding the one you are looking at to better understand its meaning.

Both key verses have interesting context. In Leviticus, Moses is spelling out dietary instructions. Peter is giving rules for daily living including civil obedience and employment. We often associate holiness only with the divine, but God makes us holy for the mundane. A holy life is lived daily, hourly, minute by minute. We are made holy by God through salvation, and we are called to live like that every day, not just Sunday.

Designated for a purpose

The word holy means set apart. While pondering that meaning, I was reminded of the stories about Grandma’s silver or good China. Those items were set aside for special occasions. The were designated as special by grandma. We are designated as special by God. He has set us apart for a purpose.

What is your purpose? We are not all called to be pastors or missionaries. Never think that your purpose or calling is less because it is not a vocational ministry. I was planning to be a missionary, but God had other plans. God used me differently than I had planned, and God’s plan is not less. Today, I have ALS. I am still set apart.

We have been made holy, set apart, designated. Live like it!

Parting thoughts

We are made holy through salvation not by doing stuff. Holy living is mundane but purposeful.

This year our church is using the book Core 52 as a personal study to help us strengthen our knowledge of the Bible and grow our faith together. As part of my faith journey, I will be writing my thoughts and insights here.