Live in Peace and Be Holy
October 2, 2022
Hebrews 12:14 – “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
This scripture sounds very similar to the beatitudes! The beatitudes are intended to help shape our lives on earth so that we become citizens of God’s Kingdom. However, if you choose to live by the Beatitudes, that doesn’t mean that you’ll find fame and fortune here in this world. In fact, most of the time, if you live by the words above, you might even find yourself not liked, and even hated by the world because you won’t put up with a lot of the schemes or lies that surround the world. But, if the world hates you because you live a holy life, then you will certainly gain for yourself the glory of the Lord!
How does something become Holy? There is only one person in the whole universe that is Holy and that is God. Holiness is His nature. So only God can make someone or something Holy by being in His presence. No one can ever be holy apart from God. So when God enters a person’s heart or soul, He brings holiness to that person with Him. So, God’s presence in us is Holy.
I’ve heard it explained this way. Think of a room that is filled with sunlight. The sun doesn’t normally belong in a room unless it has windows to let that sun into it. When evening comes, the room goes dark. It’s filled with sunlight as long as the sunlight dwells in it. It’s the same with us. We have no holiness without God and His presence. You either have the presence of God in your heart and soul, or you don’t. You are either holy, or you aren’t, depending on the presence or absence of God in your heart.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy… Make every effort doesn’t mean just once in a while depending on how you are feeling that day. It means you need to walk in holiness until it becomes second nature to you and you don’t even have to think about it. Be careful with your choices in life. Holiness is the idea of being set apart for special purposes, so we need to strive for holiness so that our lives can be set apart for God’s use.