Just what does it mean when the Bible tells us we must be holy because God is holy! We see this in the following passages: the first two are from the Old Testament, and the third is from the New Testament.
Old Testament
Lev 11:44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.
Lev 11:45 I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
1Pe 1:16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
It has always been God’s intention that His people should be holy. This is not a new testament idea, but it was always God’s plan.
We can see from these scriptures that being holy is not just a nice thought, but it is something that our God expects from us. But you may ask, “How can we be holy?” Surely, that something only God can be, isn’t it?” That is an excellent question and one I will answer in this booklet.
Not Impossible
I think the first thing to understand is that God will not ask us to be something that is impossible for us to be.
Mar 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Luk 18:27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
We can see from these scriptures there is nothing impossible for God to accomplish. What may seem like a “mountain too far” for us is not a problem to God. Just consider this. Since God created everything we can see. The enormity of the universe to the microscopical things. Why would it not be possible for Him to provide a way for us to be “Holy”? Remember, this is not of our power and doing. It is all from God.
So if God expects us to be holy, then there must be a way for us to be holy.