Paul makes no bones about it. He is a saint. A holy man. And why not? That's what God called him to be.
Ephesians 1:4
Start talking about holiness at the office, school or around the neighborhood and see what happens. It's like the plague made you its permanent home! People don't want to hear about holiness: God's or yours. They especially don't want to hear about their lack of it.
The Apostle Paul pulls no punches about holiness. Before he writes one word about our adoption as sons through Christ, redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sin, Paul says, "He chose us...to be holy and blameless." Paul goes so far to call Christians saints (hagiois , in the Greek). The word comes from the same root noun used for "holy" and "sanctification." The idea is of someone or something set apart for sacred service.
God's life is an eternal history of Holiness. It occupies the foremost rank among the moral attributes of God. He is absolutely separate from and exalted above all His creatures, and He's equally separate from all evil and sin.
Moses introduces us to God's holiness in Exodus 3:1-6. It's the story of the burning bush.
From that point, the Bible speaks of holiness more than 600 times.
God created Adam and Eve in perfection. God looked at them and said what He had done was "very good." The first human beings were holy from creation. God gave them His law ("you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil") and set them on their way. After the human race fell into a sinful state (through Adam), holiness became something God had to teach the human race about over and over again. It was to little avail, until Christ died to make us holy and blameless. In Christ we are holy. We have the holiness of God living in our souls. We are saints: God's holy ones!
W.E. Vine wrote: "This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men." Paul wasn't holy because of something he did. Neither are we. Paul wrote: "...we were by nature objects of wrath." He called himself "chief of sinners." Paul understood that his holiness came as a direct result of God's Grace.
Ephesians 2:4-5
Paul makes it clear that personal holiness is more than an option or choice for Christians. We are holy and blameless in God's sight! That's what the Greek makes clear in Ephesians 1:4. God's penetrating gaze sees down into the deepest part of our spiritual lives. He sees the life and presence of His Holy Son and Holy Spirit. We are holy because the One living in us is holy and without blame. We are holy! We are set apart for sacred service. Holiness is not an option. It's an opportunity. No one else can be holy. Christians are the only flesh-and-blood holiness this world sees or knows. God lives out His holiness through us! Paul exhorts us to "...be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) That comes right after Paul writes:
Ephesians 4:22-24
"Therefore." That's the first word of Ephesians 4:25. Underline it in your Bible. Whenever you see the word "therefore," ask what the "therefore" is "there for". Because we are to be "made new in the attitude" of our minds and are to "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness," we should behave like the saints we are! Here's what Paul means for us in relationship with others.
Ephesians 4:25 - 5:4
This is extremely important that we understand what Paul is saying here! We are holy because of our position in Christ. That means we should act in ways that are representative of our position. We are holy and blameless in God's sight. We should live our lives in ways that are holy and blameless in the sight of the world. Here's Paul's list. In the quiet of your home, ask yourself if there's anything you need to do to change your behavior. If there is, talk it over with God. He'll show you the way.
Holy living is not a mystery that only a few can ever know. God has directed every member of the Body of Christ to live a holy life. Holiness is "The readiness to respond to life from God's point of view."
Remember that God lives out His holiness through us. We are His "saints:" ordinary people saved by grace and indwelt by the Supernatural God "in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7)
Our lives are the theater of God's Holiness. Use the stage well!
Copyright © 1986, 1995-98, Mark McGee, GraceLife(tm) Ministries
Taking God's Grace to the World!
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © , 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Return to The GraceLife(tm) Menu Page for more studies about the Gospel of the Grace of God.
Last Updated: 12/20/1999 "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."
"Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up.' When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' 'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground.' Then he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God."
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 'In your anger do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do no let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."