Living as the Holy People God Has Made You

In a world that constantly tells us to define ourselves, the question "Who are you?" can feel overwhelming. Our culture encourages us to create our own identity, painting ourselves like a blank canvas. But what if the answer to who you are has already been determined by someone far greater than yourself?

What Defines Your Identity?

A recent survey showed that 62% of people say their family defines their identity more than anything else. Others find their worth in their job, education, ethnicity, or achievements. But like Buzz Lightyear discovering he wasn't the galactic hero he thought he was, we can feel insignificant when our self-made identities crumble.

Israel experienced this same crisis of identity. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, they were constantly reminded they were worthless. But then God rescued them and publicly claimed them as His own, giving them a completely new identity at Mount Sinai.

Remember Who You Are in Christ

God's Rescue Comes Before His Requirements

When God speaks to Israel in Exodus 19:4-6, He doesn't start with commands. Instead, He reminds them of what He has already accomplished: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself."

Like an eagle carrying its young to safety, God had rescued Israel not just from slavery, but to Himself. Even through their wilderness struggles with war, hunger, and thirst, God was carrying them on His back the entire time.

If you are in Christ, He is bearing you on His back right now, carrying you through whatever trial or tragedy you're facing, bringing you safely to Himself.

Your New Identity as God's Treasured Possession

God then declares Israel's new identity: "You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples... you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Think about this transformation - 70 days earlier, they were slaves. Now the God of the universe calls them royalty, priests, and His treasured possession. God doesn't ask them who they are; He tells them who they are.

Peter later applies this same identity to Christians in 1 Peter 2:9: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people of his own possession."

What Does It Mean to Be Holy?

Understanding Positional and Progressive Holiness

When you put your faith in Christ, you become positionally holy - the Bible calls Christians "saints," meaning "holy ones." This is your identity, not based on what you've done, but because of who Jesus is.

But you also grow in progressive holiness - becoming more like Christ in your daily life through Holy Spirit-empowered effort. As one theologian put it, "Sanctification is the process of becoming what we already are in Christ."

These twin realities lift the discouraged and humble the proud. If you feel like the "vilest worm," remember God has made you holy and promises to finish what He started. If you look down on others for not meeting your standards, remember that even "the holiest creature is infinitely distant from God."

Why Should We Revere God's Holiness?

The Terrifying Beauty of Mount Sinai

At Mount Sinai, God's approach required careful preparation. The people had to consecrate themselves, wash their clothes, and maintain strict boundaries. Anyone who touched the mountain would die.

The scene was dramatic - the mountain wrapped in smoke, fire, thunder, lightning, and trembling ground. It was like a wedding at the foot of a volcano - beautiful but dangerous.

This teaches us that God is not safe, but He is good. He's not a life coach trying to improve your situation; He's a holy King who commands your life.

Should Christians Fear God More or Less After the Cross?

The answer is more. The cross doesn't diminish God's holiness - it magnifies it. This is the God who gave His Son for you. Paul tells us to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" even after describing Christ's glory.

We must not treat God's grace as a license to sin or domesticate God into something manageable.

How Can Sinners Approach a Holy God?

The Need for a Mediator

At Sinai, even after consecrating themselves, the people couldn't approach God. Only Moses could move freely up and down the mountain, serving as their mediator.

Moses prepared the way for our greater mediator, Jesus Christ. At Sinai, God said "stay back or you'll die." At the cross, He says "come near." Jesus absorbed God's wrath that we deserved, died, and rose again so we can draw near to God with confidence.

What Drawing Near Looks Like Today

For non-Christians, drawing near means repenting of sin and putting faith in Jesus Christ. Don't wait until you're holy enough - you never will be. Today is the day to come by faith.

For Christians, drawing near includes regularly confessing your sins, trusting that God is faithful to forgive and cleanse you. Like Isaiah before God's throne, our first response to God's holiness should be confession: "I am an unclean person among unclean people."

Application

This week, choose one specific area where you need to live more like the holy person God has made you. Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on one thing - whether it's grumbling, storing up earthly treasures, or letting your eyes wander where they shouldn't.

When you face that area of struggle, remember who you are: God's treasured possession, rescued at the cost of His Son's life. Let this identity motivate your pursuit of holiness, not guilt or shame, but the joy of being who God says you are.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What one area of my life needs to align more with my identity as God's holy person?
• How does remembering God's rescue of me motivate me toward holiness rather than guilt-driven behavior change?
• What sins do I need to confess to God and possibly to others this week?
• Am I treating God as "safe and manageable" or with the reverence His holiness deserves?

Remember John Newton's words: "I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world, but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am."

Live as the holy people that God has made you.