YOU ARE HOLY

“For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches” – Romans 11:16

LIGHT FOR NOW: You are holy because Jesus is holy.

Paul’s statements in the previous verses assumed that Israel would one day be accepted by God again as the Jewish people turned to faith in Christ. Israel, as a nation, would regain her special relationship with God. Paul now seems to say this destiny is in Israel’s identity to be the people of God despite this temporary state of estrangement because of Israel’s rejection of Christ as the Messiah. Paul offers two illustrations to make this point. First, a bit of dough mixed into a larger lump of dough can determine what the entire mixture will be like. Paul is referencing Israel’s practice of offering the first dough made from each year’s harvest as a loaf of bread to the Lord (Numbers 15:20-21). That bit of dough offered as the “first fruits” to the Lord was set apart. It was holy. Its holiness conferred holiness unto everything else made with that lump of dough.

The second illustration is one Paul will build on in the following verses. The nature of branches is determined by the “root” from which they grow. The basic Greek word used here is “rhiza”, referring to core part of the plant, from the surface and reaching below soil. If this root is holy, Paul implies the branches will be holy as well. This clarity shows us that it is not by your effort and what you do that makes you righteous or holy; but it is what Christ has done already. You are holy because Christ is holy; therefore, confess your holiness by faith in Christ Jesus. You don’t confess sin to be holy, you confess Christ to be holy. You are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus and you are holy through Christ who made you holy. Glory! 

INSTRUCTION: You are without spot and blemish in Christ; acknowledge this.

CONFESSION: By virtue of my confession of Christ, I declare that I am holy, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: There’s no holiness outside Christ.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: MATTHEW CHAPTER 6; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 4