Pursuing Holiness

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all that you do; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

© Depositphotos/ PetarPaunchev

I didn’t grow up going to church. I did, however, grow up hearing about church, and what I heard wasn’t very good. “It’s full of hypocrites, judgmental people who just want your money.” It was all a farce.

So here I am, a Christian, loving God, Jesus and the church He built. Why? How could I go from being taught the “church” is for fools to becoming the church myself?

People are people.

You don’t need to go to church to be judged. That happens in our own families. You don’t need to go to church to experience others hypocrisy. That happens in our places of work. You don’t have to go to church to be asked for money. That happens with our schools, sports programs, and countless non-profits.

We find these people at church because that’s just how people are. We are all pursuing something and we use the means we know to achieve what’s important to us, what we think we really want. In our brokenness we use and misuse the emotions and understanding God gives us. And if we are not careful, we will pursue what’s temporary and short-lived rather than what will last forever.

God is God.

I don’t go to church because of who people are. I go because of who God is. The church is not a building or a place we go. Church is the coming together of those who follow Jesus. In our brokenness we encourage and love one another. We support each other in our pursuit of Christ. And while not everyone who goes to church fully understands the temporary versus eternal, over time the pursuit becomes more clear.

The Pursuit of Holiness

I used to think of holiness as a vague, hard to understand religious term. What exactly is holiness and how do you know when you’ve achieved it? Is it about being perfect or following some set list of rules? And who decides what is perfect or on this list? Hopefully, it’s not the broken people at church.

In pursuing holiness, we are actually pursuing Jesus. It’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can even want to pursue holiness. Jesus has set the standard, not the people at church, and it’s too high for us to achieve in our brokenness. We cannot be perfect in this lifetime and yet, in Him, we strive after Him. We strive after His perfection. His death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead makes it possible for us to pursue holiness in this lifetime and achieve it in the next. It’s in our pursuing of Christ and His holiness that the Spirit of God transforms us into the image of Christ throughout our lifetime. It’s in the pursuit that the things of eternal importance win out.

Something to Consider…

What do you pursue in your life? You can look at your calendar and your back account, but I challenge you to look at your heart. If one thing in your life could change what would it be? What would be the source of that change?

In our pursuit, we do nothing on our own. The Spirit draws us to Jesus. He softens our hearts to hear and accept His grace and truth, and yet we can choose to participate in this pursuit. What one thing can you start doing to pursue Jesus and come to know holiness?

An Easter Reflection

© Depositphotos/ kevron2002

“It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.” Luke 23:54

Isn’t it interesting that the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is the Sabbath?

It’s Saturday, a holy day. For the Jewish people, Saturday is the Sabbath. People go to the temple and there is no work done.

Jesus is dead. He’s been crucified. Just a few short days before, people were shouting His praise on Palm Sunday. He was their King come to save them. And over the course of the week, everything changed.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday everyone is going about their business. The Passover is coming and there are preparations to be made. Jesus is still teaching and His messages are bold and convicting. He appears steadfast and confident, unwavering in His purpose. Of course He’ll succeed. The Jewish people will soon be freed from their oppression.

Thursday comes and Jesus is betrayed and arrested.

“Wait. What’s going on? Who’s been arrested? How can that be? I thought…”

By Friday, Jesus has been convicted. He’s nailed to a cross to die a criminals death.

“NO! This can’t be happening! He was supposed to become King. He was supposed to save us. How do we move forward? How can we move forward? Everything we had hoped for is gone. Is there even any hope left?”

Saturday comes and so does the Sabbath. Nothing can be done. And even if something could be done, they can’t do it. The law doesn’t allow it. All they could do was seek God, go to the temple and wait.

Did the disciples of Jesus go to the temple? Or did they remain in the upper room, quiet and afraid, uncertain of their fate should they show their faces?

Regardless of where we are or where we go, one of the most holy things we can do is seek God and wait on Him. When everything is falling apart around us, or seems to be, we seek and wait. We pray and trust.

On Friday, Jesus said, “It is finished.” And He’s right. There’s nothing left for us to do, but rest.

And then Sunday comes. Answered prayer. Truth revealed. A miracle. Hope is restored in a way even better than we could have imagined!

Too often though, we want to skip from Friday to Sunday. We want instant answers and results. And while the truth of what God does on Sunday solidifies the foundation of our faith, our faith is grown on Saturday. And sometimes, Saturday lasts a long time, much longer than we like.

This is a constant pattern in our life. Everything is great. We see a bright future ahead so we go about our business assuming we know how it will all work out. Then, out of no where, we are blindsided. We don’t know what’s going on, how it happened, or what to do next. Time passes. We do what we can feeling like it’s not enough, feeling like there’s no end in sight. And then, God breaks in. Something changes and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is renewed.

As Christians, this week, Holy week, is our state of living all wrapped up in each day. We know Jesus is King and has come to save us. We go about our business in this world steadfast and confident, unwavering in our faith, boldly teaching and preaching through the power of Christ in us. We prepare because the hope on which we wait could come at any time. And when times get tough, almost unbearable and there’s nothing else we can do, we seek God. We rest in Him. We pray, trust and wait.

Sometimes the weight of God’s word, His glory revealed through His word is heavy. I can’t speak. I can’t think. I can’t process. In the presence of the Lord, Isaiah recognized His sinfulness. He thought for sure He was done for. Daniel lost all strength and felt completely helpless. He trembled in the presence of God’s messenger. Saul, on the road to Damascus, fell to the ground at the flash of light and the voice of Jesus. Even the Apostle John, who had walked with Jesus on earth, fell as though dead in the presence of the transfigured Christ.

This is my struggle: to get the words out when the weight of God’s word overwhelms me. It is so good, and it is so, so important. I had meant to post this going into Good Friday. Maybe it’s good that I didn’t. Maybe it’s good that we don’t just get on with our day once Easter is over, the dishes are done and the crowds have gone home. Every day is Holy. Every day is an opportunity to consider and reflect on what “Sunday” will bring.

Something to Consider…

As you think about the different days of Holy week, where do you find you spend the most time?

• Are you looking to the leaders of the world to solve your problems?
• Are you going about your business assuming you know how things will turn out?
• Are you feeling like your unsure of what’s happening in your life, like you’re trying to hold on, but are losing control?
• Maybe you’ve lost hope and feel defeated. You don’t see a way out.
• Maybe you’re unsure of what to do next, where to go or what to do.

Jesus is returning. A new Sunday is coming. How does this truth affect how you spend your time? How does this truth change the day in which you live?

May you know and believe, seek and trust, while finding your rest in Jesus. We can live every day in the reality and truth of Easter.

 

Be Transformed

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

What is the pattern of this world?

Ecclesiastes says there’s nothing new under the sun. Everything that has happened will happen again … and again … and again. We think we’ve learned our lessons from life and death, war and peace, and yet we find ourselves repeating our mistakes. Maybe a generation effectively passes on to another what they’ve learned, but then a generation or two later, it starts all over again. Why?

The corruption of the world caused by evil desires. Or, put more simply, sin: Disobedience to God.

So Paul says, rather than be disobedient to God, let Him transform your thinking. Let Him renew your mind. Let Him show you and teach you a different way to live. What does this way of life look like? Here are three ways of living that will change as your thinking changes.

1. Sacrificial Living

When we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, we nail to the cross our old ways, that old self we talked about in my previous post. We let Him weed out the evil and deceitful desires that fill up our hearts and minds. Some of these weeds have long and deep roots. The deeper He goes, the more painful it can be, but when we allow Him space to work, the soil of our hearts moves more freely. We give up what we want for what God wants for us. We let Him remove the bandages we’ve put in place to protect ourselves and let Him heal the wounds and broken places within us. We deceive ourselves when we allow our desires to draw us away from God’s protection and provision. And while we seek Him, sacrificing anything that gets in the way of our relationship with Him, we will find that He gives us the good and perfect desires of our hearts because He’s the one who has put them there.

2. Holy Living

It seems that as the world is more and more connected, this is harder and harder to do unless we completely unplug. As we consecrate ourselves to the Lord, we are not only separating ourselves from the world, we are being set apart for His work. And more often than not, His work will require us to be in the world. As we are taught how to be in the world, but not of it, we are learning to test or discern what is God’s perfect will, putting into practice what we’re learning. God grows in us the desire to live His way, not our own nor the world’s.

3. Worshipful Living

In Matthew 22, Jesus is questioned about paying taxes. Jesus asks whose image is on the coin. It was the image of Caesar. Jesus says, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) What is meant by (give back) to God what is God’s? Whose image is on your heart? What do you hold precious in your heart? Everything you do begins and ends with worship to Jesus Christ when it’s His image, His Spirit that resides in your heart. And our worship is true and proper when we live sacrificially for God and His will. We don’t grumble and complain about what we don’t have or can’t do, but rather rejoice that we are able to serve God’s purpose in this world wherever we are. We get to give back to God our gratitude through a lifestyle of worship.

If in Christ we are whole and complete, then every part of our lives must be grounded in and moving the same direction with the same purpose. When we hold back even one part of ourselves, our whole self is affected.

Something to Consider…

In what ways has your thinking been renewed in regard to the ways of the world and the ways of God?

Where in your life are you challenged the most when you think of living a sacrificial, holy and worshipful life? In what areas are you encouraged and joyful?

As new creations, possessing everything we need to live God’s way, we need to remember there is a process of learning, growing and choosing Him over all other things.

Everything We Need

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

© Depositphotos/ kevron2002

I have struggled mightily with the words godly and holy. What does that mean? How do I live a “holy” life? I’m not godly in my behavior or thinking. I’m a mess.

And it’s not just mistakes that make up my mess. Let’s call it what it is: Sin. God knows more about my sin than even I do. In fact, He knows ALL about my sin.

Yet, God has given me everything I need to live a godly life. Because God has called me, because I’ve come to know Jesus, I have all I need.

So rather than try to be perfect, I’m going to take what I know about God and all that I’m learning and choose to live in agreement with Him. It might actually be that simple.

And if you’re reading this, God is calling you. Not because you’re perfect, good or holy, but because He is. He calls you by His own glory and goodness, not yours. And as you get to know Him through the power of the Holy Spirit, through reading His word, and by spending time with others who know Him, you will be able to recognize and live a godly life as well.

You will begin to live your life in agreement with God, not in opposition to Him.

… because He is good.

… because He knows you completely, sin and all, and still loves you deeply.

… because HE has given you everything you need. He’s withheld nothing good from you.

God is good so He calls and He gives. Will you accept everything He has for you?

 

God, you are good and you give good gifts. You give me everything I need and I lack nothing. Lord, when I feel like I don’t understand enough to move forward with you, teach me what I need to know so I can live in agreement with you. Thank you for giving me everything I need to live a godly life in your divine power.

Something to Consider…

Do you think of godly living in terms of what you must give up or in what you will gain? Perspective matters. How could a change in perspective help you move in God’s direction?

What do you believe is lacking in your life right now? What information do you believe would make a difference in this area? God has already given you everything you need. Ask him to make it known.

If you have not yet responded to God’s call to you, but would like to, you can. Right now, you can say “yes” to God’s glory and goodness by putting your faith in Jesus. If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. God knows all about your sin so acknowledge it and ask Him to forgive you. He will. Thank Him for the gift of grace through His Son, Jesus. He died on the cross for your sins so that you could be forgiven. Tell Him that you want to live in agreement with Him and ask Him to give you everything you need to do that. He loves you and calls you to be His. Say “yes” today.