“since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/1pe.1.16.esv

God doesn’t just show us something to show us. He expects us to engage and pursue. The standard for all of us is His holiness. Becoming holy as He is holy doesn’t happen by our efforts but by His Spirit at work within us. The more we are willing to see our imperfections the more His perfections can be made in us. It is only through humility that holiness can be obtained. We don’t become holy as much as we are made holy by drawing closer to Him. His radiance burns off all that is unholy.

Jesus was brought up to a pinnacle and shown the wonders of the world. Yet He did not give in to having the world bow down and worship then because He saw something greater in the future. How we view the future determines what we settle for now. Ultimately if we don’t see God in our present moment we might succumb to accepting the worship of others instead of directing their worship to God. Our “holiness” is never from us and it’s never meant to point to us. Any holiness within us is because of God alone. If others cannot see God in us then our own attempts at holiness are obstructing the view. If in pursuing holiness we aren’t pursuing Christ Himself, then it’s idolatry.

What does it mean to pursue holiness?

How do we do that with humility?

Do you think of yourself more highly than you should?