Set Apart

Follow … holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Hebrews 12:14

Holiness, as an attribute, is reserved only for the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of all man, the Lord Jesus and the King of kings, for the Bible teaches that there is none holy as the LORD (1 Samuel 2:2). When man was made, man was holy, meaning he was set apart. The words ‘holiness’, ‘sanctification’, and ‘saints’ all have their root word in holiness. What does holiness in our lives imply?

Firstly, to be set apart requires propitiation. In our current spiritual state without Christ, we are dead in sin and on our way to a devil’s hell. God’s wrath is upon our lives and we live in fear of eternal judgment. However, God in His love took our punishment on Himself. When the Lord Jesus died at the cross, He bore the brunt of God’s anger against sin, paid the price of our iniquities, appeasing God’s wrath against our souls, and forgives us all our transgressions; that is propitiation. When we realize our sin, and that Christ’s crucifixion redeems us from our sins, we are saved and set apart (Hebrews 10:10). We are forever set apart to God.

Secondly, to be set apart implies a parting from sin. The sins in a believer’s life had been paid for in full once he was saved. All our sins in our lives were crucified at the cross (Galatians 5:24).

We are separated from sin spiritually by the redemption in Christ. However, we need to part from our sins practically in our daily lives (Romans 6:12, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 4:28, Ephesians 4:29, Ephesians 4:31). We need to part from sin, in order to be holy.

Thirdly, to be set apart implies possession. We are to holy to the Lord (to be set apart to the Lord) for we belong to Him. He purchased us through His grace and His propitiation (1 Corinthians 6:19). We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and we are no longer our own. We are the purchased possession of Christ. (Ephesians 1:13 – 14)

Fourthly, to be set apart implies purpose. When Christ set us apart, it was for His purpose. To show His grace (Ephesians 2:7), to good works (Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14), be like the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:29), to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20), to glorify the Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16), to do His will in this life (John 4:34).

Dear reader, are you set apart by trusting Christ? Is this evidenced by a renouncing of all sin? Do you realize that we belong to Christ alone and that there are clear indications of His grace and His holiness? Why are these things important? Because without Holiness, no man can see the Lord. If an individual does not have an experience of being set apart clearly evidenced in his life, he will need to examine his faith.

Are you set apart to Christ? In your faith, in your heart, in your obedience, in your life?

Written by: Pastor Johnny Tan
Edited by: Timothy Lee
Image Credit: Luz Adriana Villa, Flickr