holiness – La Vista Church of Christ

What Holiness Should Mean to the Christian

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:14:56 +0000

"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'” (I Peter 1:15-16).

Perhaps we who are Christians today do not often think about our holiness. But we should think about it. If it does not sound very “practical,” that may be an indication of how much we’ve accommodated ourselves to the world around us. But whatever the reason for our neglect, Peter’s injunction still stands: “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

The basic idea of holiness is “separateness” or “distinctness,” and it has to do with separation from anything morally impure. God is not just partially but *completely* holy, of course, and we are to set His holiness as our goal and our intent (I John 3:2,3). Prone to error as we are, we are going to fall into sin from time to time and require His forgiveness. But at the very least, we must make holiness a commitment that we intend to keep. And we shouldn’t fool ourselves: God knows the extent to which our commitment is genuine.

It’s an obvious fact that we are, for the time being, “works in progress.” But let’s be careful. Being “flawed” creatures does not excuse us from exerting effort — whatever impurity remains within us should be a major priority to remove. God will certainly help us, but if our holiness depended on God alone, He would have finished the job long before now. The unfinished nature of the work is not His fault; it is ours. So Paul put it in the form of a command that we are capable of obeying: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).

It will help if we can learn to see our holiness (or the lack of it) from God’s perspective. For Him, the “problem of sin” is not merely that it diminished the happiness we might otherwise have had. That is, at best, a side issue, a symptom of the problem. The problem is that sin marred the holiness that would have made us perfectly “in His image” (Genesis 1:26-27), creatures with whom He could joyously commune. So let us grieve over our unholiness as He does. Let us yield eagerly to the help He offers in reversing our rebellious choices. And let us see our “salvation” as fervently as He sees it.

"[God] is not an eternal blessing machine for men; he did not come to save men out of pity; he came to save men because he had created them to be holy" (Oswald Chambers).

Love Your Neighbor (Moyer)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:57:31 +0000

by Doy Moyer

Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are first, to love God with all the heart, soul, strength, and might, and second, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). These commandments are the basis for everything else God commands. It’s not hard to see in the structure of the Ten Commandments that loving God and loving others is easily outlined. We are told that the whole law is “summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

The link between loving God and loving others ought to be clear. We cannot love God if we do not love our neighbor. John shows how loving others is based on God’s love and demonstrates that we are born of Him: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:7-11).

The command to love one's neighbor as oneself comes from Leviticus 19. This is significant because the purpose of Leviticus is to show how those guilty of sin can once again draw near to God. Sacrifice and holiness are the keys (cf. Leviticus 11:44-45 and 17:11). The interesting point about loving neighbor in this context is that love displays both sacrifice and holiness. Consider how Leviticus 19 begins: “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). In this context, “I am the LORD your God” occurs several times to emphasize the holiness of God. Profaning what is holy to God means being cut off from His people (Leviticus 19:8 ). From here, a number of actions relating to how they were to treat others are given, culminating in the statement, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18). Notice how that statement is completed with “I am the LORD.” This underscores holiness.

The context of Leviticus shows that loving neighbor is grounded in God’s holiness. People are made in God’s image. There is a sacredness about humanity because of who God is and what He has made humans to be. Profaning humanity is to profane what is holy, even more so than profaning physical articles that God declared holy. We are not told to love things, but to love people. Not to do so disrespects God who made them. To mistreat people is to profane God Himself. James said that to use the tongue to curse others is to “curse people who are made in the likeness of God,” and, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9-10). To love one's neighbor as oneself is to respect what is holy because it is a direct reflection of how we think of God. Always keep in mind that phrase, “I am the LORD.”

The context of Leviticus also shows that loving neighbor is sacrificial. Read Leviticus 19:9-18 again, and you’ll find principles of sacrificial giving to others and of treating them with dignity and respect. It would be difficult to show that we love others if we are unwilling to sacrifice anything for them.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). He did this through showing what loving God and loving others looks like, and He did it with perfect holiness and by His sacrifice. The mind of Christ, Paul shows, was demonstrated through humility and the self-emptying sacrifice of His life for the sake of others (Philippians 2:1-8).

Jesus taught the principle many times, but think of these two passages:

Matthew 7:1-12, where He taught that we will be judged by the same standard of judgment we use for others. Therefore, we are to reflect the principle, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Luke 10:25-38, where He taught the parable of the good Samaritan based upon the efforts of the lawyer to justify himself by questioning who his neighbor was. In this case, Jesus shows that being a neighbor to others is not passive, but active. Who “proved to be a neighbor to the man” in trouble?

To be holy as God is holy requires that we love our neighbors as ourselves. To love others is to deny self and sacrifice for their good. It is very much a part of loving God, and love is holy.

Be Holy in All Your Conduct

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:53:29 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

“But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;…” (I Peter 1:15).

Holy is from the same word in I Peter 1:2 that is translated ‘sanctifying’, which means ‘consecrated’, ‘purified’, ‘set apart’. When we become Christians, we are set apart unto God, set apart to live our lives according to His instructions. Being set apart indicates we are not like the world; we, in fact, are not to like what we were. We are now to be God’s people.

God is holy in that He is separate from all that is termed ‘ungodly’, ‘unrighteous’, ‘evil’, ‘sinful’, etc. The Psalmist said of God: “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with you” (Psalms 5:4). God is separated from all such. Thus, Peter says that “as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy" (I Peter 1:15-16).

Our being holy is the culmination of the actions demanded in I Peter 1:13-14.

Prepare your mind for action
Be sober-minded
Set your hope completely on the grace to come
As obedient children, we are no longer to be conformed to our previous desires.

The same word that is translated ‘holy’ and ‘sanctified’ is used to describe God’s people – they are saints. They are set apart unto God in relationship, and they develop a set-apart life by transforming their character and life.

When someone tries to justify some wrongful behavior by saying, “Well, I’m no saint”, my response is simply, “You ought to be.” We grow in such sanctification. We change. We are transformed.

Does this describe your life?

Fit for the Master’s Use (Series)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 04 May 2025 21:31:23 +0000

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (II Timothy 2:20-22).

Join us for a series of lessons on June 8-11, 2025, presented by Zeke Flores of Columbus, Texas.

What Sort of People? (Moyer)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:51:18 +0000

by Doy Moyer

At the end of Peter’s second epistle, he writes that the Lord is returning in judgment (II Peter 3). While many mocked this as they followed their own sinful desires, they overlooked the fact that God always keeps His word and has judged the world before in the flood. Yet God’s timing is not the same as man’s, for with God, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Peter 3:8 ). Even so, the Lord is not slow about keeping His promises the way we count slowness, but is longsuffering, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Peter 3:9). The Day of the Lord will come, the heavens and earth will pass away, and the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells will be a reality (II Peter 3:10-13). Embedded within these promises is a question that needs answering: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…?”

What sort of people ought we to be? There are some matters over which we have no control. We do not control God’s timing, His judgments, or details about what happens when the Lord returns. We do, however, control our response to truth. God has given His word, and it will happen. Knowing this, the question is put forth: what sort of people ought we to be? How should we live in view of the return of Jesus Christ?

While we can find answers to this question throughout Scripture, let’s just focus on the context of II Peter. What does he have to say about the kind of people we ought to be? The full answer requires a complete reading of the book (which I recommend), but I want to think about three primary areas on which Peter lands as it concerns how God’s people are to behave in light of the coming of the Lord.

First, Peter shows that we ought to be people growing in character. We are to have “lives of holiness and godliness.” In chapter one, Peter writes that God’s people have been called to God’s glory and excellence (II Peter 1:3). We have escaped the corruption of the world because of sinful desire desires (II Peter 1:4). Consequently, we are to “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (II Peter 1:5-7). These are not independent of one another but grow in harmony (much like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-24). We must diligently add these to our faith so we do not stumble (II Peter 1:9-11). This indicates that faithfulness, holiness, and godliness result from diligence in growing and increasing these qualities.

Second, Peters shows that we ought to be people with an unwavering commitment to truth. In chapter two, Peter warns of false prophets and teachers who would “secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (II Peter 2:1). Many would follow their destruction path as the “way of truth” is blasphemed. No one is immune to this influence, and even angels fell to the delusions of false words as they came to despise authority. The point is that God’s people must be vigilant in their stand for truth, understanding that there are many ways to go astray and that “ignorant and unstable” teachers twist the Scriptures to their own destruction (II Peter 3:16-17). Christians are dedicated to reality, and truth corresponds to what is real. If we give up our commitment to truth, we become slaves of corruption and error.

Third, Peter shows that we ought to be the sort of people looking for the Lord's return. This brings us full circle back to the text in which Peter asks the question. Scripture is full of examples of God judging the unrepentant. All judgments point us to a final judgment, the proof of which is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30-31). Peter says we are to be “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (II Peter 3:12). Other passages concur with this (e.g., Titus 2:11-14; II Thessalonians 4:13-18). Because we trust God’s promise and await His Day, we are dedicated to lives reflecting God’s glory and excellence.

In the conclusion of the epistle, Peter reminds us

to be diligent to be found by Him without blemish and at peace,
to count the patience of the Lord as salvation,
to take care not to be carried away by the error of unprincipled men, and
to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

May God help us be the people we are called to be as we await the Day of God’s visitation.

I don’t think I’ll ever be perfect

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:19:15 +0000

Question:

I struggle to keep my heart and thoughts on God through the day. I'll be doing good for a while, then doubts creep in, saying you won't ever amount up to God by trying to be perfect, even though Jesus said to be perfect like the Father. I feel as though He's grown tired of me

Answer:

Solomon warned about people striving to obtain something they cannot reach. "Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16). God understands that everyone sins (Romans 3:23). If someone claims to be without sin, they are lying. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ... If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us" (I John 1:8,10).

While we know we have sinned and will likely sin again in the future, it does not mean we tolerate sin in our lives. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2). Sin might momentarily knock us down, but we get right back up and continue the battle. "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity" (Proverbs 24:16). Sin doesn't defeat us. We are set to defeat sin. "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (I John 2:1-2).

Therefore, God is not expecting you to be perfect. He wants you to aim for perfection -- not to think being less than perfect is good enough. "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Albert Barnes said it well in his commentary of this verse:

"'Be ye therefore perfect,' he concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be perfect. This word commonly means finished, complete, pure, holy. Originally it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to men, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, when no part is defective or wanting. Thus Job (Job 1:1) is said to be perfect; that is, not holy as God, or sinless -- for fault is afterwards found with him, (Job 9:20; 42:6) but his piety was proportionate -- had a completeness of parts -- was consistent and regular, he exhibited his religion as a prince, a father, an individual, a benefactor of the poor. He was not merely a pious man in one place, but uniformly. He was consistent everywhere. This was the meaning in Matthew. Be not religious merely in loving your friends and neighbours, but let your piety be shown in loving your enemies; be perfect; imitate God; let the piety be complete, and proportionate, and regular. This every Christian may be; this every Christian must be."

As long as we are on this earth, we will be maturing. There is always something more that I can improve on in my life. That is what God is asking of us.

Question:

Also, I'm struggling to pray, only wanting to pray for forgiveness and not others. Please ask God to help me pray for selfless things, not just my own forgiveness. What should I do?

Answer:

You are struggling with scrupulosity. It is a religious version of OCD. See:

Though it appears difficult, perhaps even impossible, force yourself to regularly pray for other people. Make a list of people you know who need prayers on their behalf and work your way through that list at least once each day.

Unapproachable Light

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 00:11:45 +0000

by Chadwick Brewer

“Who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (I Timothy 6:16).

Millions of people will stop their daily lives to go and stare at the spectacle of an eclipse. Yet, they will do this with eye protection since we understand that the sun, even when largely covered by the moon, is still dangerous when gazed at directly. Even short, direct exposure can lead to permanent damage.

This should remind us of the holiness of God. He is so far above and beyond us that it resembles the sun’s unapproachable light. No one has ever seen God, for they cannot see Him and live. He is too exalted, too majestic, too holy for us. We should never forget that God is utterly astounding.

We should revere Him above all else, fear Him with trembling, hold His word as true and righteous, put our hands over our mouths, and count our best ideas as foolishness compared to His wisdom. When we consider the light of His glory and the unapproachableness of His majesty, we should repent in dust and ashes.

On Being Holy

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 20:04:44 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/On-Being-Holy.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: I Peter 1:13-16

I. When you are in a competition, you are told “Do your best.”

A. It means we strive hard to achieve.

B. Yet, at the same time I know there are going to be times when I don’t do my best.

1. I might be tired that day. I might have hit a lull. I might just be in a bad mood.

2. But if I’m continue to compete, I don’t accept that state, even knowing they are bound to come.

C. I Corinthians 9:24-27

D. That dichotomy of needing to do your best while understanding I won’t always be at my best can be confusing

1. Passages like I John 1:8-10 are read and then the conclusion is made that we all sin constantly or that we all sin daily.

a. Yet the passage does not say that. As a matter of fact it doesn’t say how often someone sins.

b. It only states the fact that we are all guilty of sin and no one is immune.

2. It becomes like the often used phrase, “I’m only human.” It becomes an excuse to accept sin because it is bound to happen.

3. Yet John says to walk in darkness means we are not in fellowship with God - I John 1:6

4. We can’t accept less than our best

II. The call to holiness

A. Be holy in all your conduct - I Peter 1:15

1. What conduct? Not conforming ourselves to former lusts - I Peter 1:14

2. To what extent? As God is holy - I Peter 1:16

B. It is a removal of lusts and a taking on of holiness - I Thessalonians 4:3-7

C. You cannot see God without holiness - Hebrews 12:14

D. This world isn’t it, so we need to be holy - II Peter 3:11

III. How is this possible?

A. God taught us how to be partakers of His nature - II Peter 1:2-4

B. Jesus came so that we might serve God in holiness and righteousness - Luke 1:74-75

C. We as his followers are called out of darkness and into his light - I Peter 2:9-12

D. We are born again by obeying that word - I Peter 1:22-23

E. We are given a new life by baptism - Romans 6:3-7

IV. Becoming a Christian changes the way we live - I John 3:4-10

A. We no longer live in sin, it is no longer our practice - Romans 6:1-2

B. This doesn’t mean that sin won’t trap us at times, but it is not a state in which a Christian will remain.

1. We have to be on guard because Satan is still trying to bring us down - I Peter 5:8-9

2. We have to arm ourselves against Satan’s schemes - Ephesians 6:11

C. The life of a Christian is one of growth - Hebrews 5:12-14

1. And in growing we perfect our holiness - II Corinthians 7:1

2. It takes time, but it is doable - Matthew 5:6

V. The goal is holiness

A. Set backs are bound to happen, but we don’t wallow in it

B. We are given a way out that puts us back on the path - I John 1:8-2:1

C. We don’t settle for anything less because we desire to see our God

Prepared to Be Holy

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:50:40 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Prepared-to-Be-Holy.mp3

by Raymond Warfel

Holy Is His Name

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:09:38 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Holy-Is-His-Name.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Psalm 99

I. Near the end of his life Joshua told the people of Israel - Joshua 24:14-24

A. After their declaration to serve God, it seems strange for Joshua to tell them that they are unable to serve because He is holy.

B. What is it about holiness that makes God so difficult to serve?

1. Technically, the word “holy” means something or someone dedicated to service of a god.

a. In the ancient world of idolatry, righteousness was not considered a part of holiness.

b. People who served as temple prostitutes were called “holy women” or “holy men” - Genesis 38:21; I Kings 14:24

2. But the Bible uses it differently.

a. God is not dedicated to Himself, yet God is Holy - Isaiah 57:15

b. We are commanded to be holy because God is Holy - I Peter 1:16

c. Holiness does involved being dedicated to God - Deuteronomy 7:6

d. Holiness is also placing something as special. Being above or beyond anything else - Deuteronomy 26:19

e. But the Israelites were also told to be holy by their obedience - Deuteronomy 28:9

f. In other words, righteous action produced holiness in people.

3. Perhaps holiness can be better grasped by looking at the word with the opposite meaning: “profane” - Leviticus 10:10

a. Profane means to pollute or treat something as common.

b. God strongly told Israel not to profane his name - Leviticus 22:32

(1) Joshua warned the people repeatedly not to serve other gods.

(a) To do so, would be to treat God just like any other god.

(b) The lack of distinction means He is common place in the worshipers’ eyes

(2) Such can be caused by breaking God’s laws - Proverbs 30:9

(a) We break rules all the time. Just ask your parents or teachers

(b) Do we put God on the level of men, whose rules we willingly ignore? - Numbers 15:39-40

(3) By not making a distinction - Ezekiel 22:26

II. God is above all else

A. “Holy, holy, holy” - Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8

1. By repeating the term three times, it is placing emphasis on an emphasis

2. It is saying God is infinitely holy

B. To be feared above all gods - I Chronicles 16:25; Psalm 95:3; 96:4

C. A name above all others - Nehemiah 9:5

D. Above all else - Psalm 89:7; 97:9; John 3:31

III. God is unique

A. Who is like Him? - Exodus 15:11

B. There is nothing like God in ability - Isaiah 40:25-26

C. There is no God who can perform - I Kings 8:23

D. No one is holy like God - I Samuel 2:2

IV. God is righteous

A. God is light (righteousness) - I John 1:5

1. No variation or shadow - James 1:17

2. So bright that His light illuminates light - Psalm 36:9

3. The light of the world - John 8:12

4. No need for the sun - Revelation 21:23; 22:5

5. God dwells in inapproachable light - I Timothy 6:16

B. God is hallowed in righteousness - Isaiah 5:16

1. Revelation 15:4 - God’s righteous acts declare that He alone is holy

V. Treating God as holy

A. Moses was told to take off his shoes - Exodus 3:5

1. As also Joshua - Joshua 5:15

2. Have you ever been in a house that had new carpeting put in? What is asked of you? “Take off you shoes!” They don’t want that new carpeting made to look like ordinary carpeting. It’s something special. It’s new!

3. God doesn’t want to be approach like anyone else. When He is present everything around him is holy. You don’t walk on holy things with dirty shoes.

B. You can’t approach God casually without making Him common - Leviticus 11:44-45

C. A distinction must be made - Leviticus 20:25-26; Ezekiel 44:23

1. Not give the holy to dogs - Matthew 7:6

D. The works of man’s hands cannot give respect to God - Isaiah 17:7-8

E. Holy in our conduct - I Peter 1:14-16

1. Keeping the temple where God is present holy - I Corinthians 3:17; 6:19

2. Not twisting God’s decrees - Isaiah 5:19-24