“But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”
Peter has reminded us of God’s words to His people back in Exodus. God expects those who are His redeemed people to represent Him; this is why we are called to be holy just as He is holy. If we have grasped the teaching in John 3 and have understood the Biblical concept of being born again, we will now start to understand what it means to be holy in all of our conduct (or behaviour).
Jesus reminds us that nobody is morally excellent or perfect (Mark 10:18), and it is only with God that we can overcome the temptations of the world and flesh. This is where the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit starts to help us in the conviction (the guidance as to our heart motives) and ability to overcome the corruption of the heart (our hearts are deceptive by nature; Jeremiah 17:9). Due to the working relationship with the Holy Spirit we can start to become holy just as God is holy in all (note ALL, it is not just in church or when people are around us) of our conduct.
As Christians, we must spend time reflecting on our behaviours, reasons for why we act in the ways that we do and what is the root desire in the way we live life. The human body will twist and deceive the truth about why we behave in the ways we do. We can easily pretend and create an illusion of self-righteousness and holiness in why we behave in the ways we do, but they can very quickly be far from the truth.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they are only focused on their external appearance; they show off the outside works of holiness, which they do, all the while their hearts are corrupt and wicked. Most Christian believers also fall under the same delusion of self-righteousness; going to church, attending prayer meetings, tithing, doing missionary work, being active in charities, and sharing Bible verses, but while doing this the whole time, the true heart of why is so that others can see or man can praise them for what it is they do for God.
We must understand what Jesus says in Matthew 6:4; it is what we do in secret that we will be rewarded for. Jesus then also tells us about praying in private (Matthew 6:5-6). From this, we can now grasp the truth of true holiness in the heart.
The truth of holiness in the heart (which is what God desires) is an upright heart that works just as much (if not more) in secret with him compared to what we do in public. Do we spend more time in private prayer compared to public prayer meetings? Do we spend more time in personal worship compared to public worship? Do we spend more time in private Bible reading compared to the public?
Do we do acts of charity in total secrecy, ensuring we can get no reward from man (praise, glorification, admiration)? When we work, do we only work when people are around or do we work just as hard when alone? When you get down to the root of it, the truth of holiness in the heart is understanding everything we do is for God, and His proper judgment counts.
He analyses the reality of our hearts, and He knows the truth of why we behave in the ways we do. There is no deceiving God, you can deceive yourself, your friends, your family and even your pastor, but on the final day, Jesus will revel the truth of our actions.
My commission for you today, get honest with God. Dedicate time on your knees before Him, asking His Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of your heart’s nature as to why you behave and act in the ways you do. Then always remember nobody is holy and perfect apart from God, so it is our responsibility to empty ourselves so God can take over our entire being.
