Holy living

There’s a dimension of living you can only experience when you make a decision to please the Father in every area of your life. In that dimension, Jesus becomes real to you and manifests Himself to you. As you discover how to be holy, His power becomes alive in you.

The people involved in the Azusa Street Revival soon began to be known to the world as “holiness” people. They got that title because they were so obviously different from everyone else. Few believers today even know what holiness means. Even fewer understand the outpouring of God that comes to those who dare to step into it.

What Is Holiness?

“You put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” –Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV)

This scripture tells us that righteousness and holiness are two different things. Righteousness is what happened to you when you were born again. You were made righteous when you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. He provided right-standing with God for you at the Cross.

But holiness is another matter. Exactly what does the word holiness mean? It simply means “separation to God” or “conduct befitting those so separated.” To separate means “to set apart, to disunite, to divide, to sever, to disconnect, to part company, to go in a different direction, to cease to be associated, to become distinct or disengage as cream separates from milk and rises to the top.”

Holiness is a decision of your will—it is what you choose to do with your life. It is your conduct—living according to God’s commandments. In short, holiness is doing those things that please Him. It’s what you do with your time and your actions. It is living to please God—and it bears fruit!

As Andrew Wommack has said, “Holiness is a fruit, not the root.” In other words, living a holy life is not the way to God—it is a byproduct of being born again. You don’t live a holy life to get God to love you—He already loves you! You don’t live holy to get saved or to get God to move. You live holy because you are motivated by your relationship with and love for your heavenly Father. You are responding to the love of God rather than trying to get Him to respond to you.

So, how can you live a holy life? When you disconnect from the world, flee from temptation and obey God’s Word, you will live a life that is pleasing to the Lord—you will be holy.