He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits broad to make a separation between the holy and the common.
– Ezekiel 42:20
Did you hear that last phrase?
This separation between the holy and the common. That which is set apart for God and that which is not, that which is consecrated as holy, and that which is not. The holy and the common.
When I read that phrase, I think about my life, your life in this world. We have been consecrated to God, all who trust in Jesus set apart as holy, and yet we are surrounded by so much in a world that is not, that would be labeled common.
And isn’t this the call of God in our lives today to be holy amidst the common, to not be transformed, to not be conformed to the pattern of this world around us, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
To live different, to live separate. That doesn’t mean we withdraw from the world. Obviously that’s not what Jesus has called us to do. Go and make disciples of the nations. Go into the world and share my love with the world and show the world what it means to have eternal life in me.
But don’t become like the world in the process. Don’t sacrifice the holy for the common. Oh, to see your life today. Children, kids, students who are listening to this as you go to school, as you interact with others on social media or friends, be holy. Live holy. Speak in ways that are holy, meaning you’re set apart for the purposes of God.
Don’t think like the world thinks. Don’t speak like the world speaks. And don’t live like the world lives and for college students, for young adults, don’t live like every other college student, young adult is living. You’re created to live different, holy, pure, and for a purpose that’s greater than anything this world is offering and for every person of any age for us to live, not conform to the pattern of this world in a 1 John kind of way that we wouldn’t love the world and the things of it such that we live like everybody else.
No, we are holy. We are sons and daughters of God. We’re followers of Jesus. God, help us to be holy in the common and every day of life and school and work and interactions with people in person, on social media and everything we do. God, help us to be holy.
Help us to think holy thoughts and to have pure and holy desires and to speak holy words that are pure and glorifying to you and honoring to others. God, help us to make holy decisions, pure decisions, decisions that align with your will and your word and your wisdom.
Make us holy as you are holy. And help us not, we pray. Help us not to be conformed to the pattern of this world. Help us to see the difference between the way your word leads us to live and the way the world would lead us to live.
God, help us to live for your holy purposes in the world, for the hollowing of your name among the nations to pray. God, we pray for the people of Qatar. 245,000 of them, a small group of believers among them.
God, we pray for your blessings on those believers, on those believers. God, help them to live holy lives in the common. Strengthen our brothers and sisters there for the spread of the gospel among the people around them.
Raise up others who will come alongside them for the spread of the gospel among people around them that more and more people among the in Qatar would be made holy by the blood of Jesus.
Oh God, we pray that you would help us to live in the fullness of your Holy Spirit, to live holy lives today amidst the common every day of the world around us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
