Be ye holy for I am holy

God has always been holy. When He made Himself a body to dwell among mankind, He was holy. He is Jesus.

Hebrews 13:8 KJV - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

The devils know Jesus is holy, and that Jesus is God.

Mark 1:24 KJV - Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

James 2:19 KJV - Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Isaiah 43:3 KJV - For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isaiah 54:5 KJV - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

The Jews did not recognize that Jesus was the Holy One of Israel. He came unto His own, but they did not receive Him. They desired that Barabbas, a murderer be let go, and that Jesus be crucified. They did not realize that Jesus, the One they wanted crucified, was the Holy One of Israel.

Acts 3:14 KJV - But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

John 1:10-11 KJV - He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

We are His called and chosen, holy, filled with His Holy Spirit. We are faithful in that we live a holy life.

1 Peter 1:15-16 KJV - But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [conduct]; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

If we want to commune with Him, if we want to see Him and be with Him in heaven, we must be holy.

Hebrews 12:14 KJV - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

We must repent and be baptized every one of us in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of His Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)

We must put off the old man with his sinful nature, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV - That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

We were servants to uncleanness and lawlessness, but now servants to righteousness leading to holiness.

Romans 6:19 KJV - I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Because we have obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:38), we are free from the power of sin. We do what leads to holiness and eternal life.

Romans 6:22 KJV - But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We are to present our bodies holy.

Romans 12:1 KJV - 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.

We must be holy, not letting the world conform us to its unholy standards. We must let God transform us to holiness, as He said, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Romans 12:2 KJV - 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.

Jesus chose His church to be His holy bride from the beginning.

Ephesians 1:4 KJV - According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Jesus knew it would be necessary to give His life for His bride, to reconcile us to Himself, and so He could present us to Himself a holy bride.

Colossians 1:21-22 KJV - And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

We are His church, washed in His blood, sanctified by His Spirit, holy and without blemish. (1Corinthians 6:11, Acts 22:16, Revelation 1:5)