Do you know the story behind the gospel hymn “Take Time to Be Holy”?
The valuable guidelines given in this hymn for living a holy life are just as pertinent for believers today as they were when William Longstaff wrote them more than a century ago. God still requires a holy lifestyle for His people. We sometimes confuse holiness with piety, which can be merely a hypocritical goodness that masks inner deceit or impurity. A truly holy or Christ-like life reveals the virtues mentioned in II Peter 1:5-6: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, brotherly kindness and love. We are surrounded today by so much shame and insincerity that we are often unconsciously affected by such influences. To maintain the quality of life that God demands, we must determine to take time to develop a life that is genuinely and consistently holy in every area.
William Longstaff, though financially independent, (son of a wealthy English ship owner) was a humble and devout Christian layman and a close friend and supporter of the Moody- Sankey evangelistic team that stirred England with great revival campaigns during the 19th century. After hearing a sermon on I Peter 1:16 - “Be ye holy, for I am holy” - with reference to the book of Leviticus from which it was originally taken, young William began to make the achievement of godliness his life’s goal. Although this was his only hymn, these words have since been an invaluable influence for sincere believers everywhere who truly desire to live a genuine Christian life.
Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞ All the time is the right time to be holy.
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