What does it mean to become holy?

"Who is like you -- majestic in holiness …"

-- Exodus 15:11 (NIV)

Each Sunday, many people across our nation attend church to worship God and learn more about him.

Congregations gather together to hear sermons that challenge our thinking and the choices we make.

The melodious music played by organs, pianos, horns or stringed instruments can stir the emotions of our hearts to be reverent out of gratitude or joyous over God's mighty miracles.

I remember one particular moment as a young girl when I stood by my pew along with other church members and sang the lyrics of a favorite hymn.

As I sang the chorus, an emotion of joy arose from within my soul. However, as I sang out the words, "Holy, Holy, Holy" regarding God, I suddenly wondered what I was singing about. I'd heard and sang these words many times before, but this time was different. I pondered what this word "holy" meant.

Part of our spiritual journey is to grow in understanding of the things and the ways of God. Although we can never understand all there is to know, if we are really on the path to spiritual maturity we will desire a deeper understanding of the knowledge of God. By defining meanings of the words from the Bible, it can enlighten our spiritual understanding and help us in our process for growth.

At this moment, you might be wondering what it means to be holy. Simply put, holiness means to be pure or without sin. God is the only one who can meet those requirements. But he invites us into a lifetime process of becoming holy as well. This first happens through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Then for us to be holy signifies a separation unto God. We have a heart that desires to please him and to follow his example, rather than our sinful nature. Then little by little, throughout our lives, through our determination and God's strength we can be separated from those sinful desires toward the ways of God.

When our heart's desires are right, we can begin to see positive changes in our behavior and thoughts. We can be led by our heart's passion to follow a holy God and be guided into God's purpose and plan for our life.