Monday, August 29, 2011
God's Faithfulness unto Those Who Draw Near to Him
Joshua 24.14-18
14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”
If there is one thing Christians need reminder of daily, it is the faithfulness of God. This phrase holds far more power than that for which we give the Lord credit. Think for a moment how often we’ve wrought needless pain and worry and doubt over earthly and spiritual matters because we have forgotten our Father’s faithfulness. We look back at those moments and see the silliness and childishness of our actions.
The Scriptures are clear that God is faithful. It is plainly stated. His faithfulness is not eloquent; it is not shrouded in unobtainable poetic abstractions nor reachable by only the greatest heroes of faith: it is simple, soft, but firm. As Joshua’s story comes to a close, we hear so clearly of the testimony to God’s faithfulness. Joshua declares that “he and [his] household will serve the LORD.” Why is Joshua so confident to put the security and direction of his family under the care of the Lord? The people of Israel answer this question. They proclaim that “it was the LORD [their] God himself who brought [they] and [their] parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great sings before [their] eyes. He protected [them] on [their] entire journey and among all the nations through which [they] traveled.”
How faithful God is to have redeemed a nation of Hebrew slaves and put up with them for forty years of wandering in the desert. He did not forgot the promise He made to Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. Whatever plans God has given you, NEVER think for a moment that God will be unfaithful to execute them. If you are faithful to Him, He will be faithful to you. Psalm 145.18-19a says “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him.” Likewise, James tells us in James 4.8 to “Come near to God and he will come near to [us].” Beloved, when we follow the Lord with all our hearts as Joshua did, as Moses did, as Abraham did, He will be faithful to keep His promises. He will bring you into a place of peace and prosperity. His love and grace will overflow like a river in your life. Everywhere you go, the name of the Lord will be written on you. God is faithful. As He protected the Israelites, so He protects His other children. We are God’s children, under His infinite and omnipotent, eternal power! Amen!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Faith With Works!
Faith With Works
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that “we have been justified through faith” and that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James’ short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James’ subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God’s continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be “credited to [us] as righteousness” just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can’t help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that “we have been justified through faith” and that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James’ short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James’ subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God’s continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be “credited to [us] as righteousness” just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can’t help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Weekly Devotion 8.21.2011
Faith With Works
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that "we have been justified through faith" and that "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James' short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James' subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God's continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be "credited to [us] as righteousness" just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can't help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
How Do We Live out Holiness?
How Do We Live out Holiness?
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally “dragged away” by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly “more than conquerers” in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn’t it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer(“watch and pray”) for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to “receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God’s unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We’ve not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture’s various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God’s power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally “dragged away” by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly “more than conquerers” in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn’t it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer(“watch and pray”) for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to “receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God’s unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We’ve not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture’s various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God’s power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
Weekly Devotion 8.14.2011
How Do We Live out Holiness?
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally "dragged away" by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly "more than conquerers" in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to "watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn't it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer("watch and pray") for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to "receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God's unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We've not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture's various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to "make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God's power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
God Desires Holiness
God Desires Holiness
I Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”a
Genesis 2.7
7the LORD God formed the mane from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
I once had a hole in my eardrum that had to be surgically patched. The surgeon attempted to apply a synthetic material that would eventually fuse within the eardrum to seal the hole to prevent future hearing loss. This material proved too weak to hold up in my ear, so another surgeon performed a similar, but more successful procedure. Rather than applying a synthetic material, he took skin from the other ear and patched the eardrum with it. The eardrum took more kindly to something it was used to, and the patch held, preventing any more hearing loss.
I thought of this story yesterday, and God reminded me of a valuable lesson out of it: it is only when we are patched by that which we are made for that we can be completely healed. How often we attempt to plug in stuff to fill in that hole in our hearts. We attempt to patch it with endless materialism, broken relationships, uncalled careers, and the list goes on. But is this what our Lord directs us to do? Of course not. I Peter says that we are to “set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed.” In setting our hopes upon Christ, we are not “conform[ing] to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance.” We are not “just getting by.”
You see, beloved, our Lord has called us to holiness. Divine holiness is the business of Christ’s Church. God tells us to “be holy, because [He is] holy.” Just as only skin can patch an eardrum, only the original image of who created us can be our model for how to live. Holiness is not a religious ritual. It is a pattern of living that is borne out of the Christian’s unwavering reflection of Christ Jesus brought about by His presence in our hearts. In Genesis 2, we see the distinction between Man and the animals is that God breathed His own spirit into us. Our spirits are sourced from God, not the earth. Therefore, the holiness that irradiates from God irradiates in us. Holiness ought to beam out of us. No one should ever question whether we are living our lives for the glory of God. Genesis 2 states that it was only when God “breathed into [Man’s] nostrils the breath of life” that “the man became a living being.” If God’s spirit defines us, and holiness is within God’s spirit, it must be in us. It is not an optional matter. It is not for the better question or the anointed Christian. It is for those with Christ within them.
I know I’m nowhere near the standard of holiness that God calls. Most of us aren’t. But this is the process of God sanctifying us. You see, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ, but it takes time to learn to live as He does. Our sinful nature is dead to us, but the ghost of its habits still tug upon our natural man. It is in times like these that we must remember holiness! Next week we will discuss God’s methods of working us towards holiness, but for now, if you’ve not desired holiness, if you’ve attempted to push synthetic objects into your life to plug that hole in your heart, stop. Allow God to fill it with His own hands. Let Him take the skin from Himself and patch it. Then His holiness can irradiate within you!
I Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”a
Genesis 2.7
7the LORD God formed the mane from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
I once had a hole in my eardrum that had to be surgically patched. The surgeon attempted to apply a synthetic material that would eventually fuse within the eardrum to seal the hole to prevent future hearing loss. This material proved too weak to hold up in my ear, so another surgeon performed a similar, but more successful procedure. Rather than applying a synthetic material, he took skin from the other ear and patched the eardrum with it. The eardrum took more kindly to something it was used to, and the patch held, preventing any more hearing loss.
I thought of this story yesterday, and God reminded me of a valuable lesson out of it: it is only when we are patched by that which we are made for that we can be completely healed. How often we attempt to plug in stuff to fill in that hole in our hearts. We attempt to patch it with endless materialism, broken relationships, uncalled careers, and the list goes on. But is this what our Lord directs us to do? Of course not. I Peter says that we are to “set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed.” In setting our hopes upon Christ, we are not “conform[ing] to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance.” We are not “just getting by.”
You see, beloved, our Lord has called us to holiness. Divine holiness is the business of Christ’s Church. God tells us to “be holy, because [He is] holy.” Just as only skin can patch an eardrum, only the original image of who created us can be our model for how to live. Holiness is not a religious ritual. It is a pattern of living that is borne out of the Christian’s unwavering reflection of Christ Jesus brought about by His presence in our hearts. In Genesis 2, we see the distinction between Man and the animals is that God breathed His own spirit into us. Our spirits are sourced from God, not the earth. Therefore, the holiness that irradiates from God irradiates in us. Holiness ought to beam out of us. No one should ever question whether we are living our lives for the glory of God. Genesis 2 states that it was only when God “breathed into [Man’s] nostrils the breath of life” that “the man became a living being.” If God’s spirit defines us, and holiness is within God’s spirit, it must be in us. It is not an optional matter. It is not for the better question or the anointed Christian. It is for those with Christ within them.
I know I’m nowhere near the standard of holiness that God calls. Most of us aren’t. But this is the process of God sanctifying us. You see, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ, but it takes time to learn to live as He does. Our sinful nature is dead to us, but the ghost of its habits still tug upon our natural man. It is in times like these that we must remember holiness! Next week we will discuss God’s methods of working us towards holiness, but for now, if you’ve not desired holiness, if you’ve attempted to push synthetic objects into your life to plug that hole in your heart, stop. Allow God to fill it with His own hands. Let Him take the skin from Himself and patch it. Then His holiness can irradiate within you!
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