Marsh: 7 Reasons Why the Believer Should Be Holy

By F.E. Marsh

Below are 7 reasons that the believer in Christ should be holy.

Because of what God is. 

“I am holy.” Thomas Watson says, God is holy intrinsically. He is holy in His nature; His very being is made up of holiness, as light is the essence of the sun. He is holy in His Word. The Word bears a stamp of His holiness upon it, as the wax bears an impression of the seal. “Thy Word is very pure” (Psalm 119:140). It is compared to silver refined seven times (Psalm 12:6). Every line in the Word breathes sanctity; it encourages nothing but holiness. God is holy in all His operations. All He does is holy; He cannot act but like Himself; He can no more do an unrighteous action than the sun can darken. “The Lord is Holy in all His works” (Psalm 145:17).

Because of what He has done (Lev. 11:45).

Because God brought Israel out of Egypt, and delivered them from Pharaoh, He had a claim upon their gratitude and obedience; even so has He upon us. We love, because He first loved us; we serve, because He has served us; we trust, because He has been true to us; we obey, because of His Word to us; and we walk in His ways because of what He has done for us.

Because He commands it (Lev. 19:2).

We are to be holy because the Lord tells us to be. He commands, and we must obey; for obedience is the life of holiness. It is not for us to compromise, or question as King Saul did in relation to Agag (I. Samuel 15:20, 21), for to obey is better than sacrifice.

Because of His relationship to us.

“Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be ye holy, for I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 20:7). Newberry, in the margin of his Bible, renders the title, “Lord,” “Jehovah-Mekaddeshcem.” Wherever we get the title Jehovah, it brings before us God in covenant relationship. There are ten different aspects in which God reveals Himself as Jehovah. He is Jehovah-Jireh, to provide for us; Jehovah-Ropheca, to heal us; Jehovah-Nissi, to enable us to conquer; Jehovah-Shalom, to calm us; Jehovah-Tsebahoth, to lead us; Jehovah-Rohi, to care for us; Jehovah-Heleyon, to lift us up; Jehovah Tsidkenu, to cover us; Jehovah-Shammah, who is with us; and Jehovah-Mekaddeshcem, to sanctify us.

Because of His choice of us. 

“And ye shall be holy unto Me, for I, the Lord, am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine” (Lev.20:26). Why has He chosen us? To save us from hell? Yes, but more than that; we are chosen in Christ that we should be holy, and without blame before Him in love. Talk not of election, if there is not the evidence of it in holiness of life. For, if we are like the Ephraimite, who said that he was not an Ephraimite, but when put to the test by the Gileadite, who told him to say “Shibboleth,” betrayed that he was what he said he was not; in like manner our life will soon speak out what we are (Judges12:6).

Because of our relationship to Him. 

“They shall”-the priests-“be holy unto their God” (Lev. 21:6). Aaron and his sons were to be holy because they were priests. We are royal priests to shew forth the praises of Him, who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light for that express purpose. How careful in demeanour, how courteous in manner, and constant in attendance the Queen’s servants are. And why? Because they are the Queen’s servants. We are servants of the King of kings, and that is the reason we are to be holy.

Because He promises to do it. 

“He shall be holy unto thee, for I, the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy” (Lev. 21:8). We may be sure of this, that when God tells us to be, to do, and to suffer, He will meet our need, even as in the case of Paul, who prayed thrice that the thorn might be removed, but the Lord answered by saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

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F.E. Marsh (1858-1931)

English-born, Dr. Frederick Edward Marsh devoted his life to studying the Bible and unfolding its treasures to others through his preaching and his many books and outlines. In addition to being a well-known conference speaker, he served as a minister of the Bethesda Free Church, in Sunderland, U.K. from July 1887 to 1907. In his work on “The Structural Principles of the Bible”, Marsh encourages diligent study of the Word of God for the enrichment of every believer. His publications were read and admired by the late F.B. Meyer.