This article begins our final series of 2025 and will effectively take us to the end of the year.
The Bible stresses the importance of living holy lives before God. In fact, without holiness, no man will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). Only the pure in heart will see Him (Matt. 5:8). Christians are commanded to live holy lives:
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 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” (1 Pet. 1:13-16; cf. Lev. 11:44-45).
The question we want to ask and answer over the next few weeks is how we can accomplish the goal of living a holy life, but doing so as imperfect people.
The only One to live a perfect, holy life was Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:26); therefore, we will fall short of that because we do sin (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10).
Thankfully, God does not call us to sinless perfection, but He does call us to holiness! How can we be holy?
This answer will be fleshed out over the next three articles. To be holy, we must spend time in God’s Word, spend time in prayer, and finally, be separate from the world (“in the world but not of the world”). This week, we want to emphasize the importance of spending time in God’s Word.
By Spending Time in God’s Word
Perhaps the best book to study regarding the importance of spending time reading, studying, and meditating upon God’s Word is the Book of Psalms. In fact, Psalm 1 emphasizes the qualities of the “blessed man,” one of which is how he spent time in God’s Word:
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” (Psa. 1:1-3).
Psalm 119 is an entire chapter dedicated to the Word of God and the God of the Word. Let’s consider a section from that chapter.
“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psa. 119:9-16).
A Question
First, notice that a question is asked and answered.
* Question: “How shall a young man cleanse his way?”
* Answer: “By taking heed according to Your word.”
For our purposes in this study, we want to know how we can be holy in God’s sight, and this is how!
The psalmist goes on to say he seeks God with his whole heart and seeks help so he will not “wander from” God’s commandments.
Therefore, to cleanse your way (live a pure and holy life), you must take heed to God’s Word, seek Him with your whole heart, and do not wander from His commandments.
A Desire
Second, notice a desire is stated: “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
If we want to avoid sin, we must hide (store) the Word of God in our hearts to maintain purity. Our goal should be to avoid sin at all costs (1 Thess. 5:22).
The psalmist desires to stay pure and please God, which, of course, sets a great example for us.
A Response
Third, notice a grateful heart glorifies God: “Blessed are you, O Lord!”
He asks God to teach him His statutes, and in turn, he will meditate, contemplate, and delight in them.
Earlier, we mentioned the blessed man of Psalm 1 whose “delight” was in the law of the Lord, and he “meditated” day and night in it. Here we have a very similar mindset, which leads to the powerful conclusion of this great section: “I will not forget Your Word.”
If we want to live holy and pure lives before God, we need to learn from the Psalmist what it takes.
It takes the desire, mediation, and application of the Word of God to our lives. We must be willing to fight against temptation and fight the good fight of faith by hiding the Word of God in our hearts and applying His Word to our lives so we may avoid living a life of sin.
May we strive to keep the command to be holy by applying these things to our lives.
Next week, we will discuss the importance of prayer.
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
