Strive for holiness – for our priestly service

We have a high calling: We are called to be priests of the living God! To this end, we must strive for holiness. Just as someone who wishes to esarn a degree focuses entirely on their goal, so too must we concentrate on our priestly calling. Holiness is our main subject in this endeavour. It is not merely a matter of being familiar with priestly duties, but above all of attaining and preserving God’s holy nature.

That is why we must run with perseverance and lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us (Heb. 12:1). The path of sanctification is not an easy one. There are trials, purification and struggle. But we must not lose heart or become indifferent. The question is not whether we are already perfect, but whether we are striving for holiness!

Hebrews 9 shows us just how precious the blood of Christ is for our priestly service:

“how much more shall the blood of Christ [...] cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).

We need the blood of Christ because we are defiled and unholy by nature. When we fall or recognize our imperfections, we must not tolerate our defilements or justify ourselves by pointing to the faults of others. Rather, we should consciously apply the precious blood of Christ. It cleanses our conscience, restores our fellowship with the Lord, and enables us to continue serving Him as priests. The more consciously we apply the blood of Christ, the sharper our awareness of God's holiness becomes.

As priests, we must also learn to distinguish between the holy and the common (Ezek. 44:23). Not only obvious sins, but even our common, earthly way of thinking can draw us away from the Lord.

How precious holiness is! A single bowl of lentil stew was enough for Esau to despise what was precious. Today, too, there are so many things we could pursue. Yet what we gain through sanctification is priceless. Our separation unto God is connected to our inheritance and reward (Acts 20:32; 26:18).

Let us therefore consciously pursue holiness this week, so that we may serve the living God as holy priests!