Part 2: Holiness & True Surrender: No Half-Stepping with God!

Back again with another chat about holiness! I feel like I didn’t go as deep in my last blog, so I’m back to dive deeper. Buckle up—this one’s going to be real, raw, and practical.

In my last post, I broke down the meaning of holiness—simply put, it means being set apart unto the Lord. Holiness isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a command straight from Scripture. And while that sounds great in theory, let’s be real—many of us (especially we Millennials & Gen Z folks) struggle with holiness.

Why? Because for a lot of us, it wasn’t modeled correctly. What we saw growing up wasn’t true holiness—it was Pharisee holiness—hypocrisy in a religious disguise.

Many of us grew up seeing the Pharisee model of holiness rather than true holiness. Jesus said this about them in Matthew 23:2-4:

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell you what the Law of Moses says. So you should obey them. Do everything they tell you to do. But their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they don’t do those things themselves. They make strict rules that are hard for people to obey. They try to force others to obey all their rules. But they themselves will not try to follow any of those rules.”

Sound familiar? We grew up seeing people preach holiness but not live it. We saw rules without relationship, performance, and outward righteousness with inward corruption. No wonder we struggle!

We saw people pretending to be holy on Sundays but living completely different lives Monday-Saturday. No wonder so many of us rebelled! Hypocrisy doesn’t lead people to God—truth does.

The Hard Truth: My Story of Purity

When I truly started walking with God, it was a process. You know how some people say they got saved and immediately fell in love with Jesus? Yeah, that wasn’t me. It took time, conviction, and surrender.

One of the areas where God convicted me deeply was my virginity. Now, let me be real—this is NOT easy for me to share because I’m a private person. But I believe someone needs to hear this.

See, I wasn’t out here sleeping around. I carried myself with respect. But if I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t keeping my virginity for God. I kept it for me. My decision was rooted in self-preservation—I didn’t want to get pregnant and ruin my career or goals.

Then, when I reached a place where I was successful and flourishing, I made a fleshly decision—I gave it up. And if I could take anything back, it would be that moment.

Why? Because from that point on, my discernment dropped significantly. And it makes sense. Sexual sin dulls your spiritual sensitivity. All sin separates us from God, but some sins affect us in deeper ways than others. 1 John 5:16-17 even says that not all sin is equal—some sins lead to death.

Let’s keep it 100 for a moment: If you’re out here fornicating  and still claiming to love the Lord and be a man or woman of God; you’re deceiving yourself. The truth is, you love your flesh more than you love God. No sugarcoating it. Until you get real with yourself and own that, you’ll never experience true freedom.

I’m saying this with love because I was there. I hid my sin. But the Bible says, “He who hides his sin will not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). We have to be real with ourselves. Stop claiming the title if you won’t live the lifestyle.

Real Repentance Brings Real Change

By God’s grace, I truly repented from sexual immorality. And let me clarify—repentance is not saying “sorry” to God and then going back. It’s a complete turning away.

I had to face the fact that I was the one who invited the sin in. I was seductive at times. I was manipulative at times. But when I surrendered to God, He gave me the grace to stand.

Now? You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to go back. My decision to live pure is no longer about me—it’s about Him. And because my purity is rooted in Christ, no trend, opinion, or temptation can shake me.

We live in a generation where purity is mocked, but let me tell you something—I wear my purity with pride and dignity. If my King is pleased with me, that’s all that matters.

Modesty: The Holy Spirit Changed My Closet

Another area where God called me to holiness? My dressing.

Whew, this one was a struggle. I didn’t want to look like “Mary Amaka” (you know, no style, just covered head to toe). Me? I like to look good.

Then one day, I heard the Lord say:

“Do you think I want you to look ugly? It got me thinking—isn’t He the same God who beautified Esther? If God elevated her beauty for His purpose, why wouldn’t He do the same for me—in HIS way?

That wrecked me. Because we love to box God in—like He only cares about “big” spiritual things. But He cares about everything, even our fashion choices.

I finally surrendered, and God completely transformed my closet—and my appearance. Funny thing? After I embraced modesty, people kept telling me, “You look even better now!”

That’s when I realized—God upgrades what we surrender. I thought holiness would make me look “boring,” but instead, it elevated me.

We can’t talk about modesty without addressing 1 Timothy 2:9-10, so let’s dive in and clear up what this verse really means:

“And I want the women to make themselves attractive in the right way. Their clothes should be sensible and appropriate. They should not draw attention to themselves with fancy hairstyles or gold jewelry or pearls or expensive clothes. But they should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.”

Let’s get this straight—the verse doesn’t say modesty means you can’t look good. It means your beauty shouldn’t be rooted in your outfit, your makeup, or how well you turn heads. True beauty starts from within—it’s your character, your purity, your heart before God. Dress well, look presentable, but never let your appearance be the foundation of your worth.

As a woman of God, what should draw people to you isn’t your body, outfits, accessories, or hairstyles like the world teaches—it’s your good deeds, your light, and the presence of God within you.

Big lesson? God worked on my heart first, and then He transformed my outward appearance. It all starts within!

Side Note: Somebody Needs to Hear This—Let Go of That Double Life!

Sis… bro… it’s time to stop playing games with God.

✔️ Instagram bio says: “Daughter or Son  of the King, Man or Woman of God, Lover of Christ” with a Bible verse.

❌ Instagram pictures say: Cheeks out, cleavage showing, seduction on display.

HYPOCRISY!

Let’s be real—God is not fooled. You can’t claim God in your bio and advertise lust in your feed. The Kingdom of God is not just talk—it’s power! (1 Corinthians 4:20). There is POWER in purity and holiness.

I truly hope my words don’t come across as judgmental or harsh—that’s not my heart at all. This is coming from a place of love because we have to do better as followers of Christ. It’s easy to say we follow Him, but our actions need to match our words. Lip service won’t cut it. A real follower walks the walk, not just talks the talk.

Holiness: The Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed

Holiness isn’t only about what we wear or sexual purity—it’s about everything. It’s about being transformed from the inside out. Holiness  is about how we live, how we love, how we represent Christ in every area—our speech, our actions, our integrity, even our secret thoughts. It’s a lifestyle.—it all matters to God. And while I didn’t touch on every area in this blog, trust me, God wants ALL of you, not just pieces.

Here’s the truth: God’s way is ALWAYS better. Holiness isn’t a burden—it’s a beautiful gift that shapes us to be more like Christ. And let me tell you, there is FREEDOM in living set apart. No more double life. No more bondage to sin. Just pure, unfiltered, elevated living in Him.

So, sis (or bro), if you’re struggling with holiness, you are NOT alone. My challenge to you? Let God in.Not just on Sundays. Not just in your captions. Fully surrender—and watch Him elevate you in ways you never imagined.

This journey of sanctification is just getting started—stay tuned for more in my next blog!