by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Holiness is viewed by the world around us as an undesirable trait.
The reason for
this is because they don’t understand what holiness means. To unbelievers,
holiness means being a boring, never-doing-anything-fun type of person.
According to
Strong’s #H6944 holiness means, hallowed, consecrated, dedicated.[i]
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Yahweh the glory due His name; worship Yahweh in the splendor of His holiness. (Psalm 29:2 HCSB)
One of the
dictionary definitions of holy is having a spiritually pure quality.
The secular environment
focuses on health, appearance, and pursuit of youth. Billions of dollars are
spent year after year on cosmetics, exercise equipment, gym memberships, health
food and vitamins. Nature programs push
taking care of the earth to the point of defying the planet.
Yet this same
group of people think nothing of what goes into their minds. Movies, books,
articles, conversations, and attitudes that permeate culture can poison souls.
Why does the
world want to be pollution free in the physical, but ignore the pollution that
enters minds and emotions?
Because they
have bought into the same lie the devil used in the Garden of Eden.
Everything the
Lord created was good. No shame existed. Adam and Eve were holy, hallowed, and
consecrated to their Creator.
But the
devil does the same thing now he did then. He lied. He told Adam and Eve they
were missing out on something.
Satan spreads
his lies among the unsuspecting convincing them they are missing out on fun if
they don’t participate in drugs, alcohol, or illicit sex.
Cultural
attitudes have deceived the unbelieving public that to be happy a person must
follow their desires and do whatever they want.
Youth are
ridiculed if they desire to remain sexually pure until marriage. Losing
virginity is considered a trophy to be sought.
If we fall into
the trap of looking to societal attitudes for validation, we will see things we
don’t have. Someone is always prettier, richer, happier, more popular, and more
talented.
As women, we
seek beauty. But we should defend ourselves against the wrong perceptions of
allurement and desire the splendor our Father defines.
Charm is
deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be
praised. (Proverbs
31:30)
How can we
live in the beauty of holiness and teach our youth purity doesn’t mean living a
prudish lifestyle?
We need to view
holiness as an aspiring character trait rather than a curse. We can see what a
gift virtuous living is when we learn what our identity in Christ means.
We are
daughters of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Who doesn’t want to reign as
a princess? Knowing our God is holy, and He wants us to be holy tells us consecration
is a beautiful thing.
Let the king
be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. (Psalm 45:11 NIV)
6 Benefits
of Living a Holy Life
1. Holiness
protects us from sin and contamination of the world.
2. Holiness can
keep us healthier. By not participating in smoking, alcohol, drugs, and illicit
sex certain diseases and health problems can be prevented, as well as
pre-mature aging and death.
3. Holiness keeps
us guilt free. When we live by our Father’s standards, there is nothing for our
conscience to condemn us about.
4. Holiness can make us happy. When we are connected to the Lord, we can live a stress-free, peaceful life.
5. Holiness makes us confident. When we are sold out to Christ, we
don’t need to seek approval from others. We can boldly live in His will and
know the blessings that follow.
6. Holiness
pleases God. The best reason of all to live holy is because our Father wants us
to. His desire is for us to be healthy, guilt-free, joyful, and away from the
evils of sin.
Women
Rescued from Sin Because They Turned to Godliness
The Almighty
didn’t hold anything back in the stories he shared in the Bible. The sins and
failures are recorded as well as the victories.
This can give
us hope because we can see the biblical people as humans like us. We all need a
Savior.
He shows us how
some women turned from a lifestyle of sin to follow the Lord and how their
lives were blessed because of their decisions.
Rahab turned
away from prostitution to serve the one true God. She married one of the
Israelite warriors and was Boaz’s mother. She is mentioned in the lineage of
Jesus.
Ruth left her
idol-worshipping nation to follow Jehovah. She was rewarded with marriage to
Boaz, became the great-grandmother of King David and was in the genealogy of
the Messiah.
The woman who
brought fragrant oil and anointed Jesus was so grateful for forgiveness she
entered a house full of men who ridiculed her and could have thrown her out.
Jesus said her sins were many but that her faith had saved her. She turned from
sin to holiness and Jesus commended her for her actions.
The adulterous
woman was shown mercy. When she saw that Jesus didn’t condemn her, she found a
new way of consecrated living.
These women
show us there are no lost causes. Even if a person doesn’t start out with a pure
lifestyle, the decision to turn to God transforms a sinful soul into a
beautiful creation full of potential.
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and
look, new things have come. (2
Corinthians 5:17)
The best life
is one lived in the beauty of holiness.
What greater
gift can we receive than that? Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
