BE HOLY!

Line up in formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Spare no arrows! For she has sinned against the LORD! -Jer 50:14

📖Scripture: “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16b

🔎Reflection: Biblically, holy means set apart to God because God Himself is uniquely set apart. In the OT, Israel was elected to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”—mediators drawing the nations to Yahweh. Yet Israel often twisted election into nationalistic pride and exclusivism, falling into idolatry, corrupt kingship, hollow worship, and a defiled temple. Christ did not merely replace Israel; He fulfilled and embodied Israel’s vocation. He is the true Son and Servant, the true Temple, the faithful King and Priest, whose cross and empty tomb secure a holy people set apart for His mission and GOSPEL ministry.

The New Testament Church—people from every tribe, tongue, and nation—is holy in union with Christ Jesus, not by ethnic badge or private spirituality. Holiness rejects the fleshly, hedonistic, Serpent’s path of what “seems right” (Prov 14:12) and calls for repentance and allegiance to King Jesus. Even the 5x refrain of Psalm 107, “Abandon unto Yahweh,” commonly rendered “Give thanks to the LORD,” arises from a verb that means to cast/throw (see Jer 50:14), picture abandoning ourselves—casting everything—unto the LORD.

Therefore, holiness is not the selfish, end-user, private, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, and easy-believism, consumerist “personal salvation” religon of contemporary Christianity, but devotion to the Body & Bride of Christ: gathered and gathering with Christ (Matt 12:30); transformed and growing in the reality, not just the infomational knowledge, of God's Son; giving not an obligatory 10% after taxes (the attitude of Cain in Gen 3), but our whole lives, everything, in adoration as joyful firstfruits, and going with the life-giving gospel—“Jesus is King!”—to the ends of the earth.

🤺Action:

Gathering: Am I meaningfully covenanted to a local church under shepherds (Heb 10:24–25; 13:17), or functionally independent (Matt 7:21-23)? What does the WORD of God say about my attitude and approach to gathering? While salvation is absolutely and deeply personal, it is simultaneously corporate and relational as a devoted, functional, and contributing member of the BODY of Christ for its edification (Eph 4:11-16). One (salvation) cannot be true without the other (sanctification in the Body).

Growing: Is the reality of Christ producing in me maturity, conformity, and objective obedience to God's WORD? Or is my personal relationship just about spiritual tidbits, Christianese phrases, feel-good verses out of context, and superficial information? What's your favorite verse of Scripture? Do you know the full context? How does that verse fit into the chapter... book... and overarching biblical narrative? If we're not truly growing in the reality of God's WORD via a sound biblical theology, then we're perverting it. See the list of passages at the end of the blog for more...

Giving: Have I offered my whole self—time, gifting, resources—as firstfruits, not tips (Rom 12:1; 2 Cor 8:5)? Name one costly reallocation you will make for the church’s edification.

Going: With whom will I proclaim the life-giving GOSPEL, that “Jesus is King,” this week? Set a time, prayerfully consider inviting a brother/sister in Christ to join, and go (Acts 1:8)!

🙏Prayer:

Adoration: Holy Father, You alone are set apart, glorious in holiness. Lord Jesus, true Israel, faithful King and Priest, You finished the work and opened the way. Holy Spirit, Sanctifier, You make us God’s dwelling.

Confession: We confess our autonomy, consumer religion, and hollow worship. We have scattered when we should gather; hoarded when we should give; kept silent when we should go.

Thanksgiving: (Abandon!): הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה—We cast everything to You, LORD Jesus! Thank You for the cross, the torn veil, the empty tomb, our regeneration through the Holy Spirit, your righteousness that has become our in our everlasting union with You as members of Your Body & Bride!

Supplication: Heavenly Father, please conform us to Your holiness. Gather us into deeper covenant life, grow us in the reality and truth of Your Son, make us living sacrifices, and send us in Spirit-powered unity to declare, with boldness and love, that Jesus is King. Amen!

Click on the following link for a short video version of today’s post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/7tMyNa1HLZs?feature=shared

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

-Commonly Misunderstood Scriptures-

"For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you" - Jeremiah 29:11

This verse is often misused for personal worldly success or health (prosperity gospel). The biblical context is God's promise to exiled Israel after 70 years of judgment in Babylon. It points to covenant restoration through repentance, not individual prosperity apart from obedience to His Word.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me" -Philippians 4:13

This verse is twisted to justify any ambition or achievement. The biblical context reveals the Apostle Paul speaking of contentment in suffering and abundance for the sake of the gospel, not self-empowerment or easy-believism that ignores total depravity and absolute reliance on Christ alone. Even Paul struggled with the cravings and weakness of the flesh. Therefore, God revealed to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good" -Romans 8:28

This verse is often misapplied to create a delusional fantasy and false Christianity, i.e., that everything will turn out positively (no sickness, pain, or failures) in this life if only I have enough faith (so send in your seed money and we'll help you get there!). This is an absolutel lie! Paul is unequivocally referring to things related to the inevitable good that pertains to the mission and ministry of Christ's GOSPEL. Paul is speaking of those called and presently serving according to God's purpose, conforming them to Christ's image amid trials, and exposing counterfeit faith that seeks comfort over sanctification.

"Judge not, that you be not judged" -Matthew 7:1

This verse is often misused to evade and avoid moral discernment or accountability; Jesus condemns hypocritical judgment, but commands righteous judgment elsewhere (John 7:24). Satan's lies promote tolerance of sin, subverting the church's role in discipline, correction, and holiness via Scripture.

"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" -Philippians 1:6

This verse is often perverted into easy believism's (asking Jesus into your heart, praying a prayer of salvation, and getting dipped in magical waters) "once saved, always saved," but without the subsequent repentance, submission, baptism (identity change), or any objective evidence of authentic regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Paul's confidence rests exclusively on the Philippians' partnership in advancing the gospel (v.5), which exposes legitimate regeneration versus superficial religion that is rooted in feelings, experience, customs, ritual, and consensus rather than God's WORD.

"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day." -Psalm 46:5

This verse is grossly misconstrued as empowerment for women; they wrongly believe that "her" refers to "girl power" rather than to the city of Jerusalem as God's dwelling place amid depravity and chaos, foreshadowing the true temple in Christ. It's not a verse that affirms or idolizes individualistic feminism while bypassing submission to Christ's sovereignty.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" -Matthew 18:20

This verse is widely abused to validate small, casual gatherings as an authoritative church presence. The context is church discipline and binding decisions under Christ's authority, warning against consumerist faith that scatters rather than gathers in obedient assembly according to Jesus' mission for His Body & Bride.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves... I will heal their land" -2 Chronicles 7:14

This verse is one that almost invariably pops up around July 4th. It's (mis)applied to modern nations like the United States to call for spiritual revival through politics. The words were spoken to Solomon about Israel and the temple, highlighting God's covenant with His people, not Christian nationalism that seeks to build earthly kingdoms and worship the idol of political party affiliation over the gospel.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" -Proverbs 22:6

Tragically, this verse is often treated as a guarantee against wayward children if we would just expose them to cultural Christianity. King Jesus isn't a vaccination. "The way" isn't contemporary Christian culture. That's "a way" that "seems right" to us. It's not "the way" of Christ that is narrow and exclusive. Proverbs are maxims, general truths, not absolute or irrevocable promises. The passage compels parents, families, communities, and churches to diligent submission to God's authoritative WORD. Systemic, universal human depravity requires divine, supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit, not mere exposure to religious traditions, customs, a Christian worldview, and moral training.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God... will also provide the way of escape" -1 Corinthians 10:13

This verse is frequently misused for any trial or hardship, specifically regarding temptation to sin, with a guaranteed escape or deliverance through repentance. The misapplication of the verse seeks consequence-free excuses for sin and rebellion via worldly sorrow that masquerades as victimhood. This disingenuous attitude aligns with the Serpent's desire to deceive rather than the Serpent Crusher's humble submission and surrender... to death, even death on a cross.