Holy and Free
by Gloria Copeland
I never thought I’d have to say this, but in recent years it seems like holiness has gotten a bit of a bad reputation. It’s been so misunderstood that people often get nervous at the very mention of it. Not just unbelievers, but even some Christians have gotten the mistaken impression that somehow holiness hurts. They’ve come to think of it as a kind of religious legalism that will put them in bondage and keep them from enjoying life.
As a result of such misconceptions, holiness isn’t a very popular topic these days—which is too bad because the Bible talks about it a lot. Not just the Old Testament but also the New Testament says things like this again and again to us as believers: “[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16, "The Amplified Bible").
28 : BVOV
