Why is Holiness Important?

As Christians, we often hear this word, and some may wonder what holiness is and what it even means. Is it something exclusive to God, or are we to be holy as well? There is a standard that we are to uphold as Christians, and we cannot live like everyone else. That is one of the main things about Christianity is that we are to die to our old selves and be new creations in Christ. Anyone who preaches that we can remain the same once accepting Christ is misrepresenting the Gospel. God called us to be like Him, but why? Why is it important to imitate God’s holiness and live by it? Well, I’m glad you asked! So, let’s get into why it is important to be holy.

Because Jesus Said So

1 Peter 1:15-16 says, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ When Jesus says something, we are to take it as a commandment and follow it. As Christians, we are to imitate Jesus and follow His ways. Holiness is not something you can forsake and claim to have a strong relationship with Jesus. If you’re disobeying God, you don’t have a good relationship with Him; it’s that simple. 1 John 5:3-4 says, “Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” If we truly love God, we follow His commandments with joy, follow His example, and lead a holy life despite what society tells us. Too many preach a gospel that we can live however we like, and God’s grace will cover it all. That’s false! God doesn’t have never-ending grace for sin; God is too holy to accept us in sin. Hence, He sent Jesus. Jesus took our place, and we can live a holy life through Him and His Holy Spirit. I Peter 2:24 says, “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness,” Because Christ died, we are to die, too, and live a righteous life since we no longer carry the burden of sin. You are annulling Christ’s sacrifice by not living a holy and righteous life. This is essential to the Christian life, and you cannot grow and get anywhere with God if you don’t repent and live a holy life unto Jesus. You will stay small and stagnant if there is sin that is still a part of your life. Matthew 22:37 says, “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Serving God with all our hearts, minds, and souls means following His commandments carefully, and living holy is one of them. You cannot call yourself a child of God if you’re disobedient to His Word.

Secures Your Salvation

As I said, you cannot move forward with God if you decide that holiness is not important, and you cannot call yourself a child of God if you’re living in disobedience. If you live outside God’s will long enough, you will lose your salvation, and YES salvation can be lost. It is freely given, and it can be lost if you continue to play in God’s face, as some would say. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” I Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” You grieve and quench the Holy Spirit if you’re not living a Godly life; He needs a holy vessel to dwell in, hence the name “Holy” Spirit. He cannot reside in a body that is full of sin.

I Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, which are God’s.” Our bodies do not belong to us; no matter how much we like to think they do, they don’t. They are to be Godly vessels used for the work of the Lord. Everything you do is meant to glorify God, and I’m sure you don’t have to think long about what kinds of things don’t please God. If there are things you do that would make you feel uncomfortable if Jesus was with you, I would suggest you need to stop those things. God is not being glorified through your drinking, smoking, having sex outside of marriage, or doing hard drugs. So, stop trying to convince yourself that He is. If you continue in those things long enough, you’ll hear, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23)

Save yourself from eternal damnation and live a holy life today and now! And if you don’t know Christ and this message is tugging at your heart to make a change, say this prayer, “Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and turn my back to them. I believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins and rose on the third day. I accept Him into my heart now. I believe Jesus is Lord. And by faith, I give Him my whole life, heart, mind, and soul. Amen!”

God can turn your situation around and offer you the power to live holy through the Holy Spirit. Never try to be holy through the flesh; we can only do it through Jesus, so rely on Him, not yourself! If you said that prayer, fill out the form I Just Got Saved for a Bible, journal, and church recommendations based on your area!

It allows for Blessings to Flow

God can only bless those living according to His will, so if you find that many things are crumbling in your life, check the way you’re living. God can only do so much when you’re living in sin, and you’ll never unlock the true blessing of God until you live like Him. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God,” Living a life of sin is disobedience, so you are disqualified from the blessing and subjugated to the curse.

Of course, this isn’t what God wants for you, but He gave us free will and will never force us to do anything, including living holy. It is your choice to change. Until then, God cannot bless you nor protect you from the consequences of sin, which ultimately leads to death. Joshua 1:7-8 says, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success,”

The people who live true, holy lives will always have prosperity, abundance, and success. You can only truly succeed with God if you live a life free from sin and completely obedient to God’s Word. When you read the Bible, it is evident that those who obeyed God were much more blessed than those who didn’t. For instance, take Saul and David; David was obedient to the Lord and became king, Saul disobeyed and left God, and his reward was death. Righteousness and holiness bring a reward and earn you favor with God. Things will work out for you; money will just come your way, and health and grace will abound. There’s a reason why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,” holiness is necessary if you want anything from God.

Keeps You in God’s Will for Your Life and Protected

Remaining holy keeps your life from destruction. There are a lot of ministers that are in some mess because they forsook holiness. Don’t let that be you. Live a life unto God and glorify Him in all you do because there is a reward! Back to Saul and David, one obedient to God and the other disobedient. When it was known that David would become king, Saul grew full of hate and jealousy, which took him out of God’s will for his life. Hatred and jealousy are sins and will cause God to leave you. 1 Samuel 18:12 says, “Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul.” The resentment in his heart further separated him from God. I John 5:20 says, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” It is evident that Saul did not know God because he allowed his hate for David to rule the rest of his life. So, before I continue, if there is unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, or jealousy in your heart, repent and forgive that individual. Don’t ruin your life over a grudge. I John 5:16 says, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” So, if hate abounds, God is not present.

Moving along, Saul sought to kill David, but that was not God’s will for his life. I’m sure if Saul had congratulated David and mentored him to be king, God would’ve done great things for him. However, that was not the case, so God had no choice but to kill him. He was going after God’s anointed, and because of that, his life was destroyed. God protected David throughout his running from Saul. Why? Because David was obedient to God and valued the relationship they had. He sought the Lord more than just in times of trouble; he was a worshipper, sought fellowship with Him, and loved the Lord, trouble or no trouble. That’s why he’s called a man after God’s own heart. Be careful of how you respond to certain situations, and ensure your response will not forsake your relationship with God. Saul could’ve had a much longer and more fulfilling life if he hadn’t made it his mission to kill David. Being in constant disobedience to God will destroy your life. Remain in God’s will, and seek His voice and guidance; that alone will keep you holy. Be like David (minus the Bathsheba part) and chase after God’s heart!

Allows You to Enter Into Your Full Potential in God

Sin is a barrier between you and your full potential. As I said, living a holy life opens the door of blessing, allowing you to achieve what God has called you to do. Think about it this way: a preacher cannot be successful if he continually cheats on his wife. His ministry will fall. So, what makes you think you can live a life of sin and still fully achieve your calling? Or maybe you decided that you wouldn’t answer the calling on your life because of how you’re living. Some of you are called to be preachers, pastors, prophets, evangelists, and teachers but turned away because you’d rather live “your life.” Let me tell you, you will never be fulfilled with what you’re doing until you answer the call God has for you.

You will live a mediocre life, but all you have to do is repent and start living by the Holy Spirit! God’s calling isn’t scary; it’s a blessing and will offer a life better than anything you can imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” That power can only work through you if you live according to God’s word. When you’re living in sin, the only power working in you is the devil’s. You may be a child of God, but if you’re outside God’s will, you could be opening yourself to being used by demonic spirits. And they will never lead you towards a prosperous, fulfilling life; only God can. However, you don’t have to stay that way! You can turn away from sin and live by the Spirit, which brings life and peace! And the best part is we don’t have to do it on our own or by our strength because God has given us everything we need to live a holy life through the Holy Spirit!

If you dream of a beautiful life, turn to God, He is the only One that can offer it to you. God created you with a purpose and destiny, and you’re only delaying it if you’re living a sin-filled life. He is here for you and will provide you with all the tools you need! Living holy is important because it is the only way to cultivate an intimate, powerful, and meaningful relationship with God. If that is something you want, repent, turn from your old ways, and let the Holy Spirit use you! I hope this helped, and God bless!