The Son - Holy

1 Peter 1:18-21 (ESV) ¹⁸ knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you ²¹ who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

I have struggled at times with feelings of self-doubt and putting people up on pedestals. Particularly in the world of Ministry. I will work as hard as I can and still look at others as far more skillful, righteous, successful, and FAR closer to God than I am. “If only I could grow to be more like him! If I could do that kind of work for the Kingdom!”

This is sin. Full stop, drop the mic…sin. Here is the truth of this. When we do this, we ascribe a value to the thing, or person, or place that is not theirs to have or yours to grant. Let’s just hone in on people and set everything else aside. The desire to want to “be like a person” is, in and of itself as we already said, idolatry. People have an innate value. ALL people. We are “Imago Dei” or Image Bearers of God. Image Bearers of WHO?!?! Are you tracking with me yet?

This “value” that is innate in us is SOLELY because God first granted it to us. We have value because He values us. Further, all people have this same level of value. It is unchanging. NOT because of the things we do or the “level we get to.” Simply because He granted it to us. When we remember that our works are as filthy rags, it seems rather silly to set someone aside as more special.

Holiness definitively is this very scenario summed up in one word. This is yet another of the primary attributes of the persons of God. Each is Holy. Holy, which means to be “set apart from all else.” Christ bears this as the only one who can say they are “without blemish, and perfect.” He alone can claim to be sinless like no other. With this, He alone was able to be the offering for all of mankind. “How can this be true?!”, we might ask. The answer is simple. Because Christ is worth more than the sum of all of mankind combined, and infinitely so. Because of His Holiness.

Look at the Scripture for today. We inherited the “futile ways of our forefathers”, as Peter says. Yet with Christ’s precious, HOLY, blood, we are washed clean. He paid the price far more fully than any other could. Due to this, our faith in Him gives us a measure of holiness. You perhaps could be thinking that this is a contradiction to the earlier statements. If God alone is innately Holy, how can we also be made holy by our faith in Him?

Do you recall where our value comes from? He grants it to us. Just as He grants us so many other things that we are woefully incapable of working towards. We become living testaments to His holiness as we all become walking miracles. The dead made alive again. The beloved of God. Set apart from other people but not boastfully so. Simply and fully because He is holy.

Praise you Lord for being the special one. The perfect one. The set apart.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!!