Set apart and acceptable

Title: Set Apart and Acceptable
Author: Tony Beckett and Woodrow Kroll
Proverbs 19-21, 2 Corinthians 7 Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 7:1
Imagine sitting down at the table for a meal. A place has been set for you. Imagine looking at the plate and seeing on it the remnants of previous meals eaten from that plate. You just might protest a bit, especially if you are in a restaurant and don't know whose food was left on your plate! Now imagine the waiter saying, "Is there a problem? We set this place for you. What more could you want?"
Your answer would be immediate. "I want a clean plate!"
Now imagine you are the one setting the table for a very special guest. You would not want him to ask you, "Would you please bring me a clean plate?" Instead, you would make certain that not only was a place set for the guest but that it was immaculate.
This illustrates holiness. To be holy means to be "set apart." In a sense the place at the table is set apart for you; it is holy. But more is needed for it to be acceptable. It must not only be set apart but also clean. So it is with holiness.
Paul tells us to be "perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (7:1). Being set aside and available are only part of what makes a person holy. We must be acceptable to God which will be the result of truly being set apart!
How clean is your life before God? If you know of "dirty food" on your plate, ask God to forgive you and to help you remove it from your life.
Daily devotions courtesy of Devotions.org, a ministry of Back to the Bible.