What is Holiness and How Do We Be Ye Holy as He is Holy?
Holiness means ‘set apart’ for Him. His grace will empower us to live a set apart (holy) life. It basically has to do with obeying His commandments. I’ll show you that by the Scriptures. Holiness begins with being born-again, confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart that Yahushuwa is Messiah who has died for our sins. Salvation is a free gift for those who believe and confess. We are saved by grace through faith, but grace doesn't give us a license to sin, and sin means disobedience of His laws. So after we get born-again, we must learn how to be holy (set apart for Him), as He is holy, and the Bible teaches us how.
Just look at some of the Messianic groups where the women dress like Hebrew women of the early church, the Holiness churches where the women think holiness is obtained by wearing long-skirts, no make-up, hair in buns, and a glassy stare in their eyes that makes one wonder if they are possessed, even though the Scriptures clearly show that holiness has to do with obeying Yahuwah’s laws (which we are to do AFTER we get born-again). Many think they are holy because of their outward appearance, yet they violate Yahuwah’s laws in many ways.
First of all, here are some verses on holiness.
Hebrews 12:14 King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 King James Version
7 For Yahuwah hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but Yahuwah, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Romans 12:1 King James Version
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Yahuwah, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Yahuwah, which is your reasonable service.
Notice that the next verse says “it is written” – this is referring to the Old Testament. So where is it written? Where does it say “be ye holy, for I am holy” and what is it referring to?
1 Peter 1:14-17 King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
How about here? (my comments are in parentheses):
Leviticus 19:1-18 King James Version
19 And Yahuwah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I Yahuwah your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am Yahuwah your God. (It’s referring to respecting parents and keeping the Sabbaths!)
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Yahuwah your God. (and not worshipping idols)
5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto Yahuwah, ye shall offer it at your own will (and sacrifices – which we aren’t doing at this time because of His sacrifice of Himself so we are presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. According to Scriptures, in the Millennium He will have sacrifices going on.)
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9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am Yahuwah your God. (and the harvest)
11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Yahuwah.
13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am Yahuwah.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am Yahuwah.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am Yahuwah.
IT STARTS RIGHT OUT WITH THE COMMANDMENT TO KEEP THE SABBATH – IN ORDER TO BE YE HOLY. SABBATH KEEPING IS PART OF BEING HOLY AS YAHUWAH IS HOLY – right after instructing to respect our parents. Then it starts listing other parts of His commandments that we are to keep. These commandments are part of the ‘law’. Are they so horrible?
Look how important the Sabbath is to our Creator!
Exodus 31:13-14 King James Version
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahuwah that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Notice that it says “throughout your generations.” That means it never ends! I will explain in more detail about the Sabbath shortly, since it’s the one that is a sign that shows that we are Yahuwah’s people. There are also extra Sabbaths that go with the feast days. And by the way, it is in the New Testament as well, and I’ll cover that since many Christians ministers insist it’s not in there and therefore, they insist it’s not still relevant (because they believe the Old Testament was done away with – except for the verses on blessings and money – they will use those for their own gain.) One former pastor went as far as to tell us there are only nine commandments now, because the Sabbath was done away with! This is complete nonsense! The Ten Commandments are still valid, and so are the rest of the laws, as you are learning.
Here is another verse that ‘as it is written, be ye holy as I am holy’ covers:
Leviticus 20:25-26 King James Version
25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I Yahuwah am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Again, it uses the phrase “be holy for I am holy,” and it’s giving the dietary laws, so refraining from eating unclean animals is part of being holy. It’s a holiness issue. If we can’t see Yahuwah unless we are holy, and following the dietary instructions are part of being holy, then don’t you think you ought to start following the dietary instructions? (and all the other ones we just looked at?) No, I am not saying that verses that do not say this are not valid anymore. I’m just showing you how the New Testament is teaching the laws of the Old Testament. None of it is ‘done away with’.
Sanctification isn’t just a New Testament thing as many Christians believe.
I Thessalonians 4: 3 King James Version says “For this is the will of Yahuwah, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
The verse below shows it’s not only an Old Testament thing but it’s also a “be ye holy for I am holy” thing.
Leviticus 20:7 King James Version
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Yahuwah your God. (sanctify means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be holy, be separate)
Numbers 15:40 - King James Version
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto Yahuwah. (more of His laws listed here – verse about wearing fringes to remind us of His laws.
Exodus 22:31 - King James Version
31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
That verse about being holy is referring to the dietary laws.
Leviticus 11:45 - King James Version
45 For I am Yahuwah that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
So, let’s see what topic this is covering:
Leviticus 11:41-47 - King James Version
41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
44 For I am Yahuwah your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45 For I am Yahuwah that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
It too is covering dietary laws. So, this upsets you because you love your bacon and catfish too much to give them up? And lobster and shrimp?
Well, if you love them more than Yahuwah, have at it. But don’t be surprised when He tells you to depart from Him, that He never knew you, and calls you a worker of lawlessness, and then throws you into the lake of fire. And remember that I told you about this, so you don’t have the lack of knowledge, but you rejected the knowledge, and so Yahuwah rejected you.
Look how important the Sabbath is to our Creator!
Exodus 31:13-14 King James Version
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahuwah that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Notice that it says “throughout your generations.” That means it never ends! I will explain in more detail about the Sabbath shortly, since it’s the one that is a sign that shows that we are Yahuwah’s people. There are also extra Sabbaths that go with the feast days. And by the way, it is in the New Testament as well, and I’ll cover that since many Christians ministers insist it’s not in there and therefore, they insist it’s not still relevant (because they believe the Old Testament was done away with – except for the verses on blessings and money – they will use those for their own gain.) One former pastor went as far as to tell us there are only nine commandments now, because the Sabbath was done away with! This is complete nonsense! The Ten Commandments are still valid, and so are the rest of the laws, as you are learning.
Here is another verse that ‘as it is written, be ye holy as I am holy’ covers:
Leviticus 20:25-26 King James Version
25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I Yahuwah am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Again, it uses the phrase “be holy for I am holy,” and it’s giving the dietary laws, so refraining from eating unclean animals is part of being holy. It’s a holiness issue. If we can’t see Yahuwah unless we are holy, and following the dietary instructions are part of being holy, then don’t you think you ought to start following the dietary instructions? (and all the other ones we just looked at?) No, I am not saying that verses that do not say this are not valid anymore. I’m just showing you how the New Testament is teaching the laws of the Old Testament. None of it is ‘done away with’.
Sanctification isn’t just a New Testament thing as many Christians believe.
I Thessalonians 4: 3 King James Version says “For this is the will of Yahuwah, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
The verse below shows it’s not only an Old Testament thing but it’s also a “be ye holy for I am holy” thing.
Leviticus 20:7 King James Version
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Yahuwah your God. (sanctify means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be holy, be separate)
Numbers 15:40 - King James Version
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto Yahuwah. (more of His laws listed here – verse about wearing fringes to remind us of His laws.
Exodus 22:31 - King James Version
31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
That verse about being holy is referring to the dietary laws.
Leviticus 11:45 - King James Version
45 For I am Yahuwah that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
So, let’s see what topic this is covering:
Leviticus 11:41-47 - King James Version
41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
44 For I am Yahuwah your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45 For I am Yahuwah that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
It too is covering dietary laws. So, this upsets you because you love your bacon and catfish too much to give them up? And lobster and shrimp?
Well, if you love them more than Yahuwah, have at it. But don’t be surprised when He tells you to depart from Him, that He never knew you, and calls you a worker of lawlessness, and then throws you into the lake of fire. And remember that I told you about this, so you don’t have the lack of knowledge, but you rejected the knowledge, and so Yahuwah rejected you.
Hosea 4:6 - King James Version
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of Yahuwah, I will also forget thy children.
Proverbs 1:7 King James Version
7 The fear of Yahuwah is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Or repent, and go buy turkey or beef bacon, and fake seafood that doesn’t have crab juice included in it, and be happy you have other options!
Proverbs 9:10 King James Version
10 The fear of Yahuwah is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
The Bible says we should walk as He walked – He kept the 7th day Sabbath, He did all the feast days, He did NOT celebrate any pagan holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc., He did not eat pig or shellfish or catfish or any of the other unclean animals. So, we believe that if we are to walk as He walked, we should do the same.
1 Peter 1:14-16 - King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
You see, the New Testament verse above goes much deeper than what you are normally taught. It covers the law of Yahuwah – the Old Testament law. If you mentally deal with the parts about sacrifices in the temple, and remember that we are presently instructed to practice the sacrificial laws differently for now, by bringing ourselves as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable to Him, and the sacrifice of praise, and entering into the Holiest place by the blood of Yahushuwa, where we can be in the tangible presence of Yahuwah because our High Priest Yahushuwa takes us there, then the sacrificial laws aren’t so scary now, are they?
And if you mentally deal with the civil laws as realizing we do not live in that legal system presently and neither do the Jews in Jerusalem, so we cannot take it upon ourselves to stone a criminal or adulterer, but must go through and obey the laws of our land when we deal with crimes, then those laws aren’t so scary now, are they? We can go through the verses with laws and learn about them, and seek to obey the ones that do apply to us in our land and situations, and when the Millennial time comes and we are helping Yahushuwa to rule during that time, He will let us know what to do.
Hebrews 12:14 - King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
Since holiness is about the Old Testament laws, and we won’t see Yahuwah without it, does this mean if we refuse to stop eating bacon He will not let us into Heaven? Check this out once again, as it’s an important verse to remember:
Isaiah 66:15-18 - King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh (THAT IS PIG MEAT, PORK), and the abomination (THAT INCLUDES OTHER UNCLEAN MEATS), and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
1 Peter 1:14-16 - King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
You see, the New Testament verse above goes much deeper than what you are normally taught. It covers the law of Yahuwah – the Old Testament law. If you mentally deal with the parts about sacrifices in the temple, and remember that we are presently instructed to practice the sacrificial laws differently for now, by bringing ourselves as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable to Him, and the sacrifice of praise, and entering into the Holiest place by the blood of Yahushuwa, where we can be in the tangible presence of Yahuwah because our High Priest Yahushuwa takes us there, then the sacrificial laws aren’t so scary now, are they?
And if you mentally deal with the civil laws as realizing we do not live in that legal system presently and neither do the Jews in Jerusalem, so we cannot take it upon ourselves to stone a criminal or adulterer, but must go through and obey the laws of our land when we deal with crimes, then those laws aren’t so scary now, are they? We can go through the verses with laws and learn about them, and seek to obey the ones that do apply to us in our land and situations, and when the Millennial time comes and we are helping Yahushuwa to rule during that time, He will let us know what to do.
Hebrews 12:14 - King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
Since holiness is about the Old Testament laws, and we won’t see Yahuwah without it, does this mean if we refuse to stop eating bacon He will not let us into Heaven? Check this out once again, as it’s an important verse to remember:
Isaiah 66:15-18 - King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh (THAT IS PIG MEAT, PORK), and the abomination (THAT INCLUDES OTHER UNCLEAN MEATS), and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
We look for the ones that apply to us and that we understand. Ones we don’t understand we pray about and let Yahuwah know we don’t understand how that one would be something we should do in our time and place and situation, and we go from there. And they’re mostly moral laws that we keep anyway, and feast days, and are not at all hard to keep. It’s easier to do His feast days than to do Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc, and MUCH more peaceful. They are all about Yahushuwa and are designed to bring us closer to Him.
Leviticus 23:2 - King James Version
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahuwah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Holy convocations is #4744 ‘miqrā' ’ in Strong’s Concordance, and means ‘rehearsal’. So, when we practice the feast days, we literally are ‘practicing’ the feast days. They are a teaching tool to prepare us for the celebrating of the festivals’ fulfillments in the future. Although the feasts are called ‘a type and shadow’, as they are all prophetic about Yahushuwa, we are commanded to celebrate (practice) them, NOT just learn about them. He fulfills them one by one. He only has three more to fulfill, and those are three that He’s fulfilled once at His arriving, and will fulfill again when He returns. After He does this, THEN all will be fulfilled, heaven and earth will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will be made by Him.
That says these are Yahuwah’s feasts, not Jewish feasts or Jewish holidays. And born-again people are children of Yahuwah – His family. Remember, we are grafted in, adopted in, we become part of the commonwealth of Israel, family with the Hebrew children. The spring feasts are about the first of the grain harvests, and the fall feasts are about the last of the grain harvests, and the final feasts in the fall are about the final ingathering of the crops before winter arrives.
Read Leviticus 23, Exodus 12, Numbers 9, 28, 33, Joshua 5, 2 Kings 23 and Deuteronomy 16:1 (and there are more) for information on Yahuwah’s feast days. Also, I have a page on this site about Yahuwah's feasts that gives the details of them, what they represent from the past, and prophetically for the future. We observe and celebrate the feasts without doing the sacrifices.
WEEKLY SABBATH:
Leviticus 23 King James Version
1 And Yahuwah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahuwah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of Yahuwah in all your dwellings.
I’ll talk more about the Sabbath on our blog about The Sabbath. It starts at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday, the 7th day of the week, and we are commanded to rest during that time - to do no work. And here is our blog about the rest of the Feast Days of Yahuwah.
1 John 3:4 King James Version
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Romans 6 King James Version (my comments in parenthesis)
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (sin means transgression of the law), that grace may abound?
2 Yahuwah forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahushuwa ha Mashiach were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (this is referring to being born-again.)
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Yahushuwa, we believe that we shall also live with him: (born-again)
9 Knowing that Yahushuwa being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (We are not under the law of sin and death – we don’t have to die for our sins – if we repent, His grace covers us and we get forgiven, and His grace and His Holy Spirit helps us to stop sinning, therefore, sin doesn’t dominate us anymore.)
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid. (You see, not being under the law does NOT mean we are free to break the law! It is sin to transgress/break His law. We are freed from the PENALTY of breaking the law, death, free from the law of sin and death, IF we walk in the Holy Spirit, which CAUSES us to obey His law.)
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Look at that – sin unto death covers the law of sin and death, and our choice is that OR OBEDIENCE! Obedience, that grace helps us achieve, brings us to righteousness!)
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (There’s that word again – OBEYED from the heart – not just an action but also a heartfelt obedience – for instance, if you get circumcised or get baptized but your heart isn’t submitted to Yahuwah and you are just going through the motions, it will mean nothing to Yahuwah and it will not benefit you.)
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity (iniquity means lawlessness); even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin (transgression of the law), ye were free from righteousness. (So when they were transgressing the law, they were NOT righteous.)
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Yahuwah (servants obey their master’s instructions, the law), ye have your fruit unto holiness (holiness involves obeying the laws as I've shown you) and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (sin means transgression of the law), that grace may abound?
2 Yahuwah forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahushuwa ha Mashiach were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (this is referring to being born-again.)
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Yahushuwa, we believe that we shall also live with him: (born-again)
9 Knowing that Yahushuwa being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (We are not under the law of sin and death – we don’t have to die for our sins – if we repent, His grace covers us and we get forgiven, and His grace and His Holy Spirit helps us to stop sinning, therefore, sin doesn’t dominate us anymore.)
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid. (You see, not being under the law does NOT mean we are free to break the law! It is sin to transgress/break His law. We are freed from the PENALTY of breaking the law, death, free from the law of sin and death, IF we walk in the Holy Spirit, which CAUSES us to obey His law.)
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Look at that – sin unto death covers the law of sin and death, and our choice is that OR OBEDIENCE! Obedience, that grace helps us achieve, brings us to righteousness!)
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (There’s that word again – OBEYED from the heart – not just an action but also a heartfelt obedience – for instance, if you get circumcised or get baptized but your heart isn’t submitted to Yahuwah and you are just going through the motions, it will mean nothing to Yahuwah and it will not benefit you.)
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity (iniquity means lawlessness); even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin (transgression of the law), ye were free from righteousness. (So when they were transgressing the law, they were NOT righteous.)
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Yahuwah (servants obey their master’s instructions, the law), ye have your fruit unto holiness (holiness involves obeying the laws as I've shown you) and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
In conclusion, being holy (set-apart) as He is holy means we need to study His law and obey as much of it as we can. Being holy means we must stop living in sin, and since sin is defined as transgression of the law, we must stop transgressing the law. There is a section on this site with more information on Yahuwah's law and how it applies to born-again believers.
I find it interesting that when I sung my first solo in church, I picked the song "We Will Be Holy For He Is Holy", and Yahuwah confirmed it for me that it was the song He wanted me to sing, yet at that time I had no clue that being holy meant keeping His law in the Old Testament! He was preparing me for the knowledge I'd gain in the future. I was attending a Bible College at the time, at Lester Sumrall's church, now called Indiana Christian University. Here is the story of picking that song:
I chose the song "We Will Be Holy" (for He is holy). Then I doubted if this was the right song. I opened the NIVB, at random, and not looking to find an answer at that moment, to 1 Peter 1:13-16:
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Yahushuwa is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
I do not usually open randomly to Scriptures in hopes of getting a message from Yahuwah. It is not planned by me, but by Him. If you deliberately try and do that you may end up in trouble, reading 'messages' that have nothing to do with you. Sometimes I plan to find a chapter that is on my mind to read it, but when the book is first opened and I look down, He speaks to me right then.
Finally comes March 1, 1990, the day to sing the song. I get nervous before singing and my mouth dries out when I am nervous, so I suck on a hard candy to wet the mouth. I was already in the church. I forgot the hard candy!
Silently, I complained to Yahuwah, "What am I going to do? What if I dry up and cannot sing?!" I sat on my favorite pew. Down on the floor, under the pew in front of me, was a brand-new red life saver. I thanked the Lord, washed it off just in case, and the life saver became a song saver! It was even red like the blood of Yahushuwa that saves us from our sins! Yahuwah is a good God. He is a kind Father. I sang the song “We Will Be Holy”. I have an audio on YouTube with scenery because they didn’t video record their Wednesday night services (video is below - take a listen.) The picture above shows what I looked like at that time.
WE WILL BE HOLY
By Kathleen Harris
Chorus:
We will be holy for He is holy
We will be holy, Holy is the Lord
We will be holy for He is holy
We will be holy, Holy is the Lord
From His head, and His hands, and a broken heart
Mercy's love is flowing down cleansing every thought
Whiter than winter's snow falling from the sky
We are washed by the tears falling from His eyes
(Repeat Chorus)
Heaven's streets paved with gold will not be as bright
As the Son, Morning Star, crowned in glory's light
He will shine with the love streaming from His face
Holy heart, holy hands, lifted up in praise
Below is a video teaching about this topic that is really good, and I recommend you watch it!
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