Sinless and Holy

Have you ever considered the difference between the words "Sinless" and "Holy"? I had not until just two nights ago. I think it's fascinating and want to share my thoughts with you.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary:

Sinless: "Free from sin; pure; perfect. Christ yielded a sinless obedience."

Holy: "Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character."

Being sinless is to be without sin. Being Holy is to be incapable of sinful action.

Therefore I would say this: We can definitely work toward being sinless. We can strive to do our best and be sinless. Indeed I'm sure there are some people out there, and people in the past who have been almost sinless. Able by the grace of God to control their hearts and minds and do only as God would want

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However, per these definitions I would also posit this: No one on earth, no human being is holy. There is not a single person who is ever "incapable" of sinful action. We are all perfectly capable. But who IS holy? God. God is holy. He is one-hundred percent free from sin, as WELL as absolutely incapable of performing any sinful action.

To me this is truly wonderful. Here's why, if man can attain a certain level of being sinless (never entirely) but God has proven to go above and beyond that to the place of absolute perfect holiness, doesn't that prove how desperately we need Him? Doesn't that prove how God doesn't need us?

At which point I can stand in awe of this thoughts: God has zero reason to need us. He even has perfect Angels to worship Him. He doesn't need us. In fact we just make Him look bad most of the time. Yet He keeps us. He loves us. He takes care of us. He tends to EVERY. Single. One of us. This should hit us right at our core.

To close, here are a few Bible verses for thought:

1st Peter 1:14-16 "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

Romans 8:8-13 "Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."