For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:15

A lot of people will wake up this Tuesday morning filled with the resolution that in 2008, they will be different. They will think differently, they will do different things, and subsequently, life will be better. At least that’s what they hope.

But within a few days or weeks, most if not all, will lapse back into old behaviors, old attitudes, old patterns. That goes for Christians, too.

No matter how passionately you feel about pleasing God right now, living a holy life in 2008 will depend on a few key decisions.

Decision #1: Will I live my life in the power of God’s Spirit and not in my own strength or willpower?

Decision #2: Will my personal life be determined by God’s Word and its wise application? Between me and God—I will live according to what He has said is right.

The Bible describes this as holiness—being “set apart; separate.” The word actually means “to mark off a boundary.” Read 2 Corinthians 6:15-19 at the top of the page for specifics.

Separation is holiness in action. It’s drawing a line in the sand and saying, “I don’t go there; I don’t look at that; I won’t tolerate that in my life. I belong to God. I’ve made a choice and by God’s grace I’m not going back.”

Living a holy life begins with building convictions and living within those boundaries. The best time to make that lifestyle decision is today—before you’re in the heat of the moment, apart from the pressure of the choice.

Have you drawn protective, preventative lines around your life? If you haven’t established your own convictions based on God’s Word, you’re going to fail. You might do O.K. for a season, but if you don’t heed God’s call to come out and be separate, you’ll waffle right back into that old pattern of defeat.

If you’re ready to break the cycle, start here. Say, “I resolve once and for all that with the Spirit’s help and power, I’m doing it God’s way. I belong to Him.”

Maybe you’ve been struggling in a particular area of sin and you wonder if you’ll ever get victory. Hear the tender call of your loving Father, be done with that. Those things don’t fit in your life.

Maybe you’ve tolerated your rationalized behavior a long time and the Spirit of God wants your attention about the compromises you’ve been excusing. Before you make a choice you can’t reverse and reap a whirlwind of consequences, heed the piercing word of His Spirit saying, “Come out from that and be separate.”

I don’t know how the command could be any clearer, loved ones. God’s Word says to separate from the world’s lifestyle. Don’t touch what is unclean; don’t sit on the fence, don’t straddle the line, don’t be double minded. God’s says: “Be holy as I am holy.”

There’s joy and blessing waiting for you in 2008 when you live in the protective boundaries of God’s holy call on your life.