“We, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5). By faith, we are the very members of Christ’s body, adopted into one family. There is no longer black, white, yellow, brown, Jew or Gentile. We are all of one blood — one new man — in Christ Jesus! And because of Christ’s work on the cross, man couldn’t become holy by good works, righteous deeds, human effort or strivings of the flesh.
“Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:15). Only one man would be accepted by the Father: the new, resurrected man. And when this new man presented to his Father all who had faith in him, the Father responded, “I receive you all as holy, because you are in my holy son!”
We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. “That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ … In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:10, 13). So you see, holiness is not something we do, or attain, or work up. Rather, it is something we believe! The path to holiness is not through human ability but through faith.
God’s message about holiness isn’t about outward things. It is about faith—and he makes it very clear and simple. This is his wonderful answer to the anxious cries of multitudes of Christians who thirst for the understanding of how to be holy. We are holy as we rest in his holiness!
Beloved, put off all reliance on the flesh and make this your declaration: “I claim my holiness that is in Christ Jesus. I’m a part of his body and my Father sees me as holy — because I am in Christ!”