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Matthew 1:18

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way.  While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price.  Therefor glorify God with your body.”

1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people.  You were shown mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Even though we have all received some ordinary and amazing gifts in our lifetime, no gift could ever be considered Holy before Christ.  Holy.  The word is foreign to us, difficult to wrap our minds around.  Holiness is not something we can completely understand because our every inclination, apart from God’s grace, is of the flesh.  It is a purity of heart, integrity, sacredness, being consecrated or set apart for God, wholly devoted, free from sin.  Something so precious was lovingly given to those who are willing to accept and choose it.

I always love to marvel at how children reflect their parents in appearance, personality or vocation.  It is obvious that an offspring would have similarities with his or her parents, but it still never ceases to amaze me.  So we, too, who are the offspring of Jesus, have inherited His righteousness, His Holiness, His perfection.  How utterly amazing.

Our Messiah had to partake of our nature to be able to save us.  He needed to be perfect and not partake of our sin nature.  Conceived of the Holy Spirit, unblemished by the sin stain of mankind, Christ was born.  Jesus perfectly met the righteous demands of God’s law, but bore our transgressions as a violator would.  Christ was born in righteousness and now this holiness is imputed to us.

Our world views children born of a king or queen as having “royal blood”.  Not so.  But we who are in Christ are truly royalty – adopted and cherished as God, the King of kings, His precious own – and He regards us as Holy.

Holy LORD, thank You for being the sinless Lamb Who took away our sins.  We do not deserve to be called Holy, but You willingly chose to do so.  No words could ever suffice to give You the praise You are due.