Holiness is the character of God. We are instructed by God throughout the bible to be holy. Leviticus 11:44, "For I am the Lord your God, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy;" Leviticus 20:7," Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; For I am the Lord your God." Lev 20:26,"And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine." 1 Peter 1;15&16, "But as He which has called you is holy; so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written; be ye holy; for I am holy."

Holiness is belonging to and associated with divine power. Holy means set apart for a specific purpose. Holy means worthy of worship or high esteem. Holiness is purity and righteousness in body, soul, and spirit. Holiness separates us from the world to God. Holiness fuses us to God.

Sin separates us from God. Sin fuses us with the world. Isaiah 59:2, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." If we have sin in our lives and are separted from Him, He does not hear us when we pray and will not help us when we have a need.

When you are truly converted from a sinner to a Christian, you will start to see changes in your desires. These are changes in your heart brought about by God. He gives you a heart with the ability to love and be loved. You now must start making changes in your mind, will and emotions. You have to train your mind to think a certain way. Until now, your mind was used to thinking like a sinner. Now you have to train your mind to think like a Christian. You have to keep your emotions under control in order to react in situations, as a Christian should. You should have a different outlook on life. When you were a sinner, your spirit felt comfortable around sinful things. Now that you are a Christian, your spirit will begin to feel uncomfortable around certain people and environments and situations that were once comfortable. Sitting in the middle of a bar with a few loudmouth people drinking, cursing and carrying on might have felt like home to you in the past, but now you should feel like you just don’t belong there anymore. And, you’ll be right. You don’t belong there anymore.

Sitting around with your kids watching movies filled with sex, violence and vulgarity where every other word is the “f” word may not have bothered you before, but you will find it really bothers you now. And, it should bother you.

These uncomfortable feelings around sin and sinful people is the Holy Spirit letting you know that whatever is going on now is not something God is pleased with. The Holy Spirit will continue to help you differentiate right and wrong situations and good and bad people as long as you pay attention to His promptings. But if He prompts you that what you are doing is not right or that you are not in a good situation and you just ignore Him and continue to do as you please, He will back off and allow you to sin if you so choose. Remember that you have free will: you are free to act as a sinner even when you are a Christian.

God wants a holy people, people who, by their actions portray a Christian spirit and lifestyle even when no one is looking. God doesn’t want us to just blend in with every sinner out there. He wants us to be separate, living in this world but not being a part of it.

When that spiritual change happens in your life, you will have a hunger to go tell people about Jesus. You will hunger and thirst for knowledge of God and want to know Him better. You will want to please Him and live your life just the way He wants you to.

God wants us to be examples of what a good Christian is supposed to act like. He doesn’t want us to ride so close to the sin line that people can’t tell whether we are Christians or not.

A lot of Christians think they can keep the same friends they had before they were saved and do some of the same things they did before. I have found that to be very difficult. You end up being just like the people you hang out with the most.

I personally found it easier to find new friends. It could be a problem if you have family members that are not Christians. I’ve learned that you can’t change other people, especially if they don’t want to change. But you can change yourself. I made up my mind that if family members do no respect me for the Christian I choose to be then they can just stay away. I love them and always will, but I will not go to hell with them. If they need my help, I will help them if I can, then just forget about it. They don’t owe me anything. When the family gets together on holidays and birthdays, I can be kind and sincere without lowering my standards as a Christian by gossiping, arguing, drinking, cursing, and pretending to be someone I’m not. I just excuse myself from the party and say it’s time for me to go home.

I don’t let my children hang out at other people’s houses or with other children whose parents do not run a Christian household. I want my children to learn to make good choices when finding friends. My children are not perfect, but overall they are good Christian people. And I feel I am raising them just like Jesus would. I have counted on Jesus being my partner in raising my children since they were conceived. I want them to be secure enough in themselves to realize that you are better off having no friends at all than having bad friends. A lot of adults have not realized that yet.

No one is perfect. I know I’m far from perfect. I have plenty of flaws and weaknesses that I have to struggle with on a daily basis. But the point is, we keep trying and never give up. We keep reaching for perfection and holiness.

Don’t be deceived about your life either. If you have a weakness, admit it to yourself and others. I know some people who are openly living in sin but to talk to them you would think they were doing nothing wrong. They think because “everyone else does it” then it is all right. IF YOUR MORALS AND STANDARDS FOR LIVING ARE NOT BASED ON THE BIBLE THEN YOU DON’T HAVE GOOD MORALS. The bible is your only basis for right and wrong. You can’t say you are living right and have morals because you live and think like the majority of the people you know. You are deceiving yourself if you think this way.

Another thing people say is, “I thought God was love. If God is love, then how can He send me to hell?” God does love us—all of us. But again, the choice is ours as to whether we live for Him or not. He doesn’t bend the rules for anyone.

Our mission as Christians is to portray God in our speech, actions, ways, thoughts and lifestyles. Don’t be a pretender. God hates that. You are better off admitting your shortcomings, rather than pretending you have none.

God wants us to allow Him to express Himself through us. Say what He would say, do what He would do, and react the way He would react. We are to deal with people the same way God would deal with them. As you read your Bible, you will see how Jesus reacted to Christians and to sinners.

Our number one priority as Christians is to show love to people. When you love someone, you help them if they need help, correct them when they are doing something wrong (constructive criticism, tactfully and gently given), support them, and try to lead them in the right direction. You do not insult them, yell at them, talk about them to anyone who will listen, lie to them and say they are doing fine when they are obviously far from the mark. You think the best of them and give them the benefit of the doubt, but you are also honest and up-front with them.

As a Christian, you will undoubtedly run into people who will make fun of your beliefs. People will criticize you and maybe even try to cause you great problems at school and/or work, or even within your own family or neighborhood. Don’t be shaken by these people. Just continue your life and responsibilities, as you should. Being a Christian does not mean you have to take abuse from people. Sometimes you have to stand up to people. It’s all right to do that. Defend yourself. Tell and do exactly what you need to. But, it’s the way you say it and the attitude you have about it that matters to God.

God also expects us to be witnesses of Him. God wants us to tell others about Him and how to come to Him. He does not want anyone to go to Hell. It is up to us, His children, His family to tell people about Him. God will put certain people in your life for you to be a witness to. It maybe your spouse, children, parents, friends, in-laws, or even a passerby. Someone may come into your life that will never hear about God and Jesus unless you tell them. Reach out and touch someone’s life. Of course, you can’t make people accept Jesus, but some people want to know and want to change. You’ll be able to spot those people. When you do, go ahead and be God’s witness.

The reason God wants us to be holy, good and right is so He can use us to fulfill His desire for the whole world. That desire is for everyone to know Him, love Him and live our lives as He instructs us to. Make your life holy and acceptable before God so He can use you as His body here on earth to touch people in a positive way. He wants you to represent Him. Be His words, His actions. Show His personality, His kindness, love and forgiveness towards others. He has great plans for each of us if we allow Him to use us.

The thing God is truly concerned with in your life is your heart and your soul. That’s what He will be dealing with continuously, making sure you have a good clean heart full of love, compassion and sincerity to others. Keep your thoughts and your attitude clear and pure and the rest of your life will fall in place as it should. God judges us by our hearts. Wherever your heart is, that is where you spend your time, money and attention.

Matthew 6:21, Amp “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.”


You should not have to go around telling people you are a christian they should be able to see that you are by the way you live and the things you say. If you are loving people, helping people, forgiving people and being kind to others, people will notice there is something different and pleasant about you. Don’t get saved and sit idly by doing nothing for God. Tell others about Jesus!

The Bible is full of verses where God is telling us what He expects from every Christian. I have listed just a few of these for you to study.

Matthew 5:13-16, KJV “Ye (Christians) are the salt of the earth, but if the salt hath lost it’s savor, wherewith shall if be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

Matthew 7:17-20, KJV “Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.”


Matthew 5:44-48, KJV “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.”


Matthew 7:12, KJV “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”


John 13:34-35, KJV “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.”


John 15:17-19, KJV “These things I command you that ye love one another.
If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
IF ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”


Romans 12:1-21, Amp “I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies, presenting all your members and faculties as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted consecrated and well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable, rational, intelligent service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, this age, fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs; but be transformed, changed by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new attitude, so that you may prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you.

For by the grace, unmerited favor of God, given to me I want everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought, not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance, but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.

For as in one physical body we have many parts, organs, and members, and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, so we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ, the Messiah, and individually we are parts one of another.

Having gifts, faculties, talents and qualities, that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: he whose gift is prophecy, let him prophesy, according to the proportion of his faith;

He whose gift is practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches to his teaching;

He who exhorts, encourages, to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.

Let your love be sincere, a real thing; hate what is evil, loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness, but hold fast to that which is good.

Love one another with brotherly affection, as members of one family, giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the spirit, serving the Lord.

Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of God’s people, sharing in the necessities of the saints; pursue the practice of hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you, who are cruel in their attitude toward you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice , sharing one another’s joy, and weep with those who weep, sharing one another’s grief.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, snobbish, high-minded and exclusive, but readily adjust yourself to people, and things, and give yourself to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.

Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble, aiming to be above reproach, in the sight of everyone.

IF possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath; For it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, requite, says the Lord.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink; for by doing so, you heap burning coals upon his head.

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome evil and master evil with good.”


Romans 13:13, Amp “Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly, as in the open light of day, not in reveling, carousing, and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery, sensuality and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.”


I Corinthians 5:9-11, KJV “I wrote to you in an epistle not to company with fornicators;
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortionist, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortion; with such a one, no, do not eat.”


I Corinthians 15:33, KJV “Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.”

II Corinthians 6:14, KJV “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communication hath light with darkness?”


Ephesians 4:32, KJV “And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”


Ephesians 5:1-13, Amp “Therefore be imitators of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well beloved children imitate their father.

Walk in love, esteeming and delighting in one another, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God, for you, so that it became a sweet fragrance,

But immorality, sexual vice, and all impurity of lustful, rich, wasteful living, or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints, God’s consecrated people.

Let there be no filthiness, obscenity, indecency, nor foolish, silly and corrupt talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness to God.

For be sure of this, that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous, who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain, for he in effect is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments for these sins, for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience.

So do not associate or be sharers with them.

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light, lead the lives of those native-born to the Light.

For the fruit, the effect, the product of the Light or the Spirit consists in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life.

And try to learn in your experience. What is pleasing to the Lord, let your lives be constant proof of what is acceptable to Him.

Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead let your lives be so in constant as to expose and reprove and convict them.

For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that such people practice in secret.

But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.”


Philippians 4:8, KJV “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”


Colossians 2:8, KJV “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”


Colossians 3:2, KJV “Set your affections on things above, not on the things of earth.”

Colossians 3:5-9, KJV “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience;

In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them;

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”

Colossians 3:12-15, Amp “Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones, His own picked representatives, who are purified and holy and well beloved by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by, tenderhearted, pity and mercy, kind feelings, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gently ways, and patience which is tireless and longsuffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper.

Be gentle and forbearing with one another, and if one has a difference, a grievance or complaint against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has feely forgiven you, so must you also forgive.

And above all these put on love, and enfold yourselves in the bond of perfectness, which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony.

And let the peace, soul harmony which comes from Christ, rule and act as umpire continually, in your hearts, deciding and settling with finality, all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state, to which as members of Christ’s one body you were also called to live. And be thankful, appreciative, giving praise to God always.”

Hebrews 13:1-2, KJV “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Hebrews 13:16, KJV “but do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

I Peter 2:15, 17, KJV “For this is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.”
I John 4:7-8, KJV “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.”

III John 1:11, KJV “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God; but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
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