Set Apart: Every Nation Prayer & FastingSample

The Call to Holiness

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13–16

God is holy in all his ways, completely set apart in his essence and character. So what does it mean for us to be holy? As twenty-first-century readers, we’re quick to define “holy” as behavior God expects us to achieve. However, the Hebrew word for holy, “qadosh,” means consecrated, sanctified, dedicated, set apart, and separated from the world.

God’s call to holiness is more than simply our actions or something to achieve: it’s a call to set our hope on the grace of God through Jesus to be fully transformed and to live set apart.

In his letter, Peter is writing to Christians dealing with persecution. Many people viewed Christians as dangerous because they didn’t follow the conventional behaviors of the world and lived counter to the culture around them. Despite what is happening to and around them, Peter’s encouragement is to be holy, hold on to faith, and continue living in a manner that sets them apart.

In verse 14, he reminds them that they, too, once lived in darkness, but Christ has ransomed them, changing their identity. They are now set apart, called to be sanctified and to live dedicated to Christ. Jesus truly changes our identities and enables us to live holy.

We should aspire to be holy; however, it’s not merely aspirational. It’s obtainable when we put our hope in Christ. It’s only through Jesus that our identity can be changed, and we can live genuinely different than the world around us. Answering the call to be holy is not easy, but it is necessary. It’s a call to accept the grace of God through Jesus and allow ourselves to be transformed. Holiness is not merely something to achieve but is an inherent aspect of our identity as believers. We are called to be set apart.

. . . but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Reflection

• Think of the moment when you were first aware of God’s grace and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
• Are there areas in your life where you have trouble living “set apart” from the world?

Faith Step

Spend time in prayer to thank God for his grace and the call to be holy.

Pray

Heavenly Father, you are worthy of my praise and worship. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are your ways higher than my ways and your thoughts higher than my thoughts.

I consecrate myself to you, remembering the works of your hands and the beauty of the gospel. Thank you for setting me apart as your own and calling me to be holy.

Lord, help my heart revere you so that I may reflect your glory to those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.