The Holy Nation

The Holy Nation

By Apostle Felix

9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 

11  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 

12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2: 9 – 12

You have been made holy in Christ. It is not your holiness, it is His. He decided to declare you holy all by His grace. It is not something you earned, but was simply credited to you through His death and resurrection. Holiness has been a bone of contention in the church. It has been portrayed as something that we earn through piety lifestyle. You cannot attain holiness through behaviour. It is not achieved through behaviour modification. Self condemnation is as the result of trying to attain holiness through human effort. Holiness is more than what you wear, it is a nature. God is not holy because He behaves holy. No, He is holy because His nature is holy. He is predominantly holy. He is holy before He does anything holy.

4  And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. 

Ephesians 1: 4

You have been handpicked by God to be His own and to be holy. Way before you did anything good, God had chosen you in Christ. Holiness is not behaviour modification, but holiness affect our behaviour as earlier alluded to. Holiness is God setting you apart for Himself. You have been set apart by God, not because of your good behaviour. It is all by His grace. This is the reason why, you are called, ‘ a saint.’ A saint is a person that has been sanctified, set apart by God. Once you have been made holy, you are then expected to produce the fruit of holiness.

6  This is the wonderful message that is being spread everywhere, powerfully changing hearts throughout the earth, just like it has changed you! Every believer of this good news bears the fruit of eternal life as they experience the reality of God’s grace. 

Colossians 1: 6

You have been made holy and you are expected to produce the fruit of holiness. A mango tree produces mango fruits without struggle. When you have been made holy in Christ, the production of the fruit of holiness will be without struggle. All you and I need to do is to renew our minds by the word of God. The soul needs to be brought into alignment with the word of God in order to see the nature of holiness manifesting in our lives.

1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12: 1, 2