I Thessalonians IV
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. (I Thessalonians 4:7 ESV)
Holiness
Few people want to be known these days as Holy.
An insult for anyone, even Christians, would be to be called “holier than thou.”
But that is very strange.
Because God’s people are called to be Holy.
Yet we do not like to be noticed for being holy. We do not want the scowls and sneers of the world directed towards us.
Perhaps because we have so often acted UN-holy in our attitude towards those times we ‘get it right.’ We brag, we seem snooty and superior. We forget everything about the source of OUR holiness.
And our neighbors (and the world) do take note, and it is not attractive.
Holiness is not ugly. Not when it is really holiness… which requires humility, caring, generosity, selflessness, kindness, and Christlikeness.
When we get better at that kind of holiness, it will be grand.
And maybe our society will stop lifting up impurity.