evotion or
consecration to His service, is often spoken of as if this constituted
holiness. We cannot too earnestly press the thought that this is only
the beginning, the presupposition: holiness itself is infinitely more;
not what I am, or do, or give, is holiness, but what God is, and gives,
and does to me. It is God's taking possession of me that makes me holy;
it is the Presence and the glory of God that really makes holy. A
careful study of God's words to Israel will make this clear to us. Eight
times we find the expression in Leviticus, 'Ye shall be holy, for I am
holy.' Holiness is the highest attribute of God, expressive not only of
His relation to Israel, but of His very being and nature, His infinite
moral perfection. And though it is by very slow and gradual steps that
He can teach the carnal darkened mind of man what this means, yet from
the very commencement He tells His people that His purpose is that they
should be like Himself--holy because and as He is holy. To tell me that
God separates men for Himself to be His, even as He gives Himself to be
theirs, tells me of a relation that exists, but tells me nothing of the
real nature of this Holy Being, or of the essential worth of the
holiness He will communicate to me. Separation is only the setting apart
and taking possession of the vessel to be cleansed and used; it is the
filling of it with the precious contents we entrust to it that gives it
its real value. Holiness is the Divine filling without which the
separation leaves us empty. Separation is not holiness.

But separation is essential to holiness. 'I have separated you from
other people, and ye shall be holy.' Until I have chosen out and
separated a vessel from those around it, and, if need be, cleansed it, I
cannot fill or use it. I must have it in my hand, full and exclusive
command of it for the time being, or I will not pour into it the
precious milk or wine. And just so God separated His people when He
brought them up out of Egypt, separated them _unto Himself_ when He gave
them His covenant and His law, that He might have them under His control
and power, to work out His purpose of making them holy. This He could
not do until He had them apart, and had wakened in them the
consciousness that they were His peculiar people, wholly and only His,
until He had so taught them also to separate themselves to Him.
Separation is essential to holiness.

The institution of the Nazarite will confirm this, a