The Need for a Standard
Walking in His light, not to prove ourselves holy, but because we already are in Him.
Scripture: Leviticus 11:45
“I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
Ray Stedman’s message today brings us to the heart of holiness—not as a stiff rulebook or a series of religious rituals, but as the wholeness of a life that fully expresses the character of God in everyday relationships. In Leviticus, the Lord used dietary laws to symbolize the difference between clean and unclean, not because certain animals were inherently wrong to eat, but because God was painting a bigger picture. He was establishing the need for discernment—giving Israel a tangible, daily reminder that they were set apart to reflect His life.
Holiness, then, is not primarily about what we avoid or perform, but about who we are becoming as His life is expressed through ours. God’s goal isn’t external conformity but inward transformation—where love, peace, patience, and forgiveness radiate from us, making us truly whole. And wholeness isn’t found in our striving, but in living from the life of Christ within us.
Being holy because He is holy doesn’t mean mimicking Him by our own effort. It means yielding to the Holy One who already indwells us, letting His life come forth in the daily grind of work, family, and community. That is the standard: not performance, but participation in His indwelling presence. That is holiness—not separation from people, but separation from self-effort and defiling attitudes, so that His joy and character are unmistakably seen through us.
Personalized Journal Entry — In the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have brought you out, not merely from bondage long ago, but from every form of enslavement that once defined your old life. You are Mine now, redeemed and made new, set apart not by rituals, but by My presence within you. I have written My law upon your heart and poured My love into it.
You are a vessel of mercy, prepared beforehand for My glory. I did not call you so you would strive to match a distant standard, but so that My own holiness could be seen in your relationships, in the way you respond with gentleness instead of irritation, with peace instead of panic, with forgiveness instead of keeping score.
Do not measure your worth by religious accomplishments or by the approval of others. You are already accepted in the Beloved. I have given you everything pertaining to life and godliness through your knowledge of Me. Let My life be your life. Be holy, for I am holy—and I live in you.
This is not a command that crushes. It is an invitation to fullness. Let the aroma of Christ permeate your speech, your reactions, your posture toward others. As you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit, and that fruit will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not goals to attain, but realities to express as you rest in Me.
—Romans 9:23, 2 Peter 1:3, Galatians 5:22-23, John 15:5, Jeremiah 31:33, Ephesians 1:6
My Prayer in Response
Father, You have made me whole in Christ, and I trust You to live Your life through me today. I don't measure myself against what I once was, or even what I want to become—I look to Jesus, who is my life. I receive the holiness that is already mine in Him, not to impress others or feel superior, but to reflect Your beauty in quiet ways throughout the day.
Where I would have once reacted in the flesh, I trust You to express love. Where bitterness might try to rise, I rest in the forgiveness You've already poured into my heart. You are not asking me to imitate Your standard—you are inviting me to walk in it, because it’s already within me. And so I rejoice that today I am holy, because You are holy, and You dwell in me. Let that be enough.
Devotional Credit: Adapted from “The Need for a Standard” by Ray Stedman, April 13th entry
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com