Set Apart For God's Use

1. All believers in Christ are holy in God's sight.
All believers in Jesus have been made holy or sanctified in God's sight. All believers are call "holy ones" or "saints" in the word of God (1. Corinthians 1:2). There is no special class of persons who are "more holy" than others in God's kingdom.

To the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are SANCTIFIED in Christ Jesus, called to be SAINTS [HOLY ONES], with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2)

Every child of God is holy before God. Every child of God has been set apart for God to use. Never ever feel that God does not want to use use you in His kingdom today. Never ever feel or believe that you are a nobody in the Church and that God cannot use you.

This is a lie of the devil. God says that you are holy. God says that He has a plan to use you. Just believe that God wants to use you, offer yourself to Him for His use, and He will use you for extending His kingdom.

2. We have been made holy by the blood of Jesus, not by any qualifications.
We have been made holy by the blood of Jesus. We have been set apart for God's use by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 13:12). It is the blood of Jesus that has cleansed us and marked us for God's use.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to MAKE THE PEOPLE HOLY through His own BLOOD.
(Hebrews 13:12)

We do not qualify for God's use because of our education, our wealth, our talents, our culture, our skin color or our achievements. God wants to use us as we are, after we have believed in Jesus. He will teach us, and as we obey Him, He will use us.

We do not have to beg God to use us. We do not have to try to earn the right to be used by God. No matter who we were before we believed in Jesus, God has a plan to use us for His glory. He made us holy, fit for His use, by the blood of Jesus.

3. We have been made holy by God to serve God as priests. All of use have been set aside as priests to serve God in His kingdom. Priests in the Old Testament were believers who were set apart to serve God fully at the Tabernacle and the Temple. In the Old Testament, only members descended from Aaron could serve as priests.

However, in the New Testament, all believers have been set apart or sanctified as priests to serve God. There is no special class of believers called "priests" in the kingdom of God in the New Testament. All believers are priests in God's kingdom today.

As priests, all of us have the honor to serve God today. As priests, all of us have been set apart [made holy] by God to serve Him and to serve man as He directs (Exodus 19:3-6; 1 Peter 2:9).

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a KINGDOM OR PRIESTS and a HOLY NATION.' There are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
(Exodus 19:3-6)

But you are a chosen people, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
(1 Peter 2:9)

God had always wanted to have a people who will serve Him fully as priests. God had always wanted a holy nation to serve Him (Exodus 19:3-6). However, because of the unfaithfulness of God's people in Old Testament, only the family of Aaron was chosen to serve God as priests. Now, in the New Testament, all believers are called priests before God. All believers have been set apart, made holy, to serve God. This is truly an incredible honor God has given to each of us.

4. We must live holy lives, to fulfill God's calling upon our lives.
since we have been made holy, set apart for God's use, it is our duty to fulfill God's call upon our lives. It is our duty to obey God and serve Him. In other words, it is our duty to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 3:11-12).

But just as He who called you is holy, so BE HOLY in all you do; for it is written. "BE HOLY, because I am holy."
(1 Peter 1:15-16)

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live HOLY an godly lives, as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
(2 Peter 3:11-12)

We do not obey God to become holy. We have already been made holy by the blood of Jesus. However, we obey God because we want to live a holy life, a life set apart for God.

Each of us is like a vessel that God wants to use. Each of us is holy unto God, and God wants to use us for His purpose. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to serve unclean purposes. Rather, we must turn away from all sin and allow God to use us as He sees fit (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the later, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, MADE HOLY, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
(2 Timothy 2:20-21)

5. We live a holy life to bring glory to God.
As we begin to obey God and serve Him, we will bring glory to God. All men around us will know that we serve a God of righteousness, as we always do what is right. All men around us will know that we serve a God of love, as we always walk in love. All men around us will know that we serve a God of power, as we always walk in faith in His word.

We bring glory to God before all men by the life of obedience we live. In other words, as we live a holy life, we will bring glory to God (1 Peter 2:9). When men see the good works we do as we obey God and serve Him, they will give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

But you are a chosen people, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HoLY NATION, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
(1 Peter 2:9)

In the same way, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:16)

6. As priests, we serve God first before we serve man.
In our service to God as priests, our first duty is to serve God. Our first and highest calling is to worship God. Like Old Testament priests who bring animal sacrifices before God, we are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5).

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a HOLY PRIESTHOOD, offering SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 2:5)

We are commanded to offer our bodies as an acceptable sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). We are also commanded to offer the sacrifices of praise from our lips to God, and also good works as sacrifices to God (Hebrews 13:15-16). Ad we are to offer up these sacrifices continually before God.

Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY and pleasing to God -- which is your SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.
(Romans 12:1)

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God as SACRIFICE OF PRAISE -- the fruit of our lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such SACRIFICES God is pleased.
(Hebrews 13:15-16)

We have been made holy by God to serve Him first. As we sere God first by worshipping Him, He will give us His specific directions to go forth to serve man. And He will send us forth from His presence with His power and love. We must serve God first before we serve man (Matthew 4:10).

Jesus said to him [the devil], "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
(Matthew 4:10)

However, if we do not take time to serve God first, we will not have God's power or direction to serve man. In other words, our service to man will not be in God's will. We will do work according to our own will. Such a service is not acceptable to God. Such a service is not holy unto God.

7. We serve according to the specific calling of God.
All of us are holy before God. All of us are called to serve God. However, our service to God must be directed specifically by God. We must serve according to God's specific will, not our own will.

Each of use have a specific calling in our service to God. God is our Master and Commander-in-Chief. We are His servants, and God knows where to place us in His army. He has the wisdom and the right to place us in our specific callings, and we must obey.

We must trust the wisdom of God in giving us our specific calling We must not serve outside our calling. If we do that, we will be walking in rebellion and disobedience to the will of God. We will no longer be living in holiness. We will no longer be living the life that God has set apart for us to live. We would thus grief the Spirit of God and be unfruitful in service.

It is thus our duty seek God's face for our individual calling, according to the gift God has given to him. As we know our calling and serve God, we will fulfill God's purpose for our lives and bear fruit for eternity. We will be used of God to build up the church and extend His kingdom on this earth. This is how we live a life of holiness, a life that is pleasing to God (Romans 12:1,6-8).

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY and pleasing to God -- which is your SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.
We have DIFFERENT GIFTS, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
(Romans 12:1,6-8)

If we do not bother to seek God's face in order to know God's calling upon our lives, we will not be able to live holy lives. We will not be able to serve God according to His calling upon our lives, We would have lived a wasted life. Our lives will not bear fruit for God's kingdom and we will be in danger of God's judgement (John 15:5-6).

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
(John 15:5-6)

8. Our spouse and children are also holy in God's sight.
When we believe in Jesus, we are made holy by the blood of Jesus. God has set us apart for His use.

However, God has also set apart our spouse and children for His use, even if they are unbelievers. In other words, God has made them holy also by the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:14).

For the unbelieving husband has been SANCTIFIED {MADE HOLY] through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been SANCTIFIED [MADE HOLY] through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but at it is, they are HOLY.
(1 Corinthians 7:14)

In words, God has a plan for every member of a family once the husband or wife has believed in Jesus as Savior. God has set apart every member of our families for His own use once we believed in Jesus. Just begin to believe in this plan of God. Begin to thank God for the salvation of your family members. Begin to thank God for sanctifying them.

Never look down on your unsaved husband or children or give up on them. God has already sanctified them. God has already set them apart for His use and glory. Just believe and begin to thank God and it will come to pass.

9. Everything we dedicate to God for His use is holy in God's sight.
In the Old Testament, the altar, utensils and basin in the Tabernacle were sanctified [made holy] by Moses using oil and blood (Leviticus 8:10-30). Likewise, we can sanctify all our possessions by dedicating them to God for His use. We are asking God to make them holy by the blood of Jesus.

After dedicating our possessions to God for His use, we must be prepared to obey the voice of God as He directs us to use such things. Whether it be our cars or houses or furniture, we must willingly and cheerfully surrender all that we have dedicated to God for His use according to His specific instructions. To do otherwise would be an act of rebellion and disobedience.

Let us therefore honor God and live holy lives to please Him. Let us dedicate all that we have to Him and allow Him to use us and all that we have for His glory.

Your thought:

1. What is the difference between righteousness and holiness?

Hint: A person can be both righteous and holy. A thing can be holy; can it be righteous?

2. God has made us holy in His sight when we believe in Jesus. What does this means to us?