Something I reread the other day from my journal about the idea of "cultural holiness" ...which has really come up recently. It affects the way we perceive the world, others, and ourselves.
Many of us have felt in our hearts a personal call to holiness, that God has called us to be "conformed in His image." And this is a great truth of our Christian lives. But many times we set the bar too low because we don't realize the great heights to which God desires to have us reach. The idea of holiness becomes relative. I'm "holy" compared to so-and-so. Christians become caught up in this idea of "adapt(ing) to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around..." them. "As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself (I'm not sure who the author was...)."
Holiness begins with God - not ourselves. Only in looking to Him do we come to know and are able to live true holiness.
