…it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." —1 Peter 1:16
{CHAMBERS} “We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God. Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. […] God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. […] Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself.”
{ELGIN} It is odd how we can disconnect certain behavior from who we are in Christ. I was talking to someone yesterday about this very fact. They habitually treat another person poorly, but since they are related, they see no problem with it. Perhaps even feel justified in doing it. My message to them. Show the same love, grace and mercy to them that God has shown to you. I pointed them to Jesus. I said let others see Jesus in you. In other words, be holy because the Holy One has saved you, has separated you and His Spirit is in you. Why do you act the way you do toward others, and especially toward people close to you? The Bible tells us why …..
(Galatians 5:16-26) “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what
is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are
not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the law. The acts of the
flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who
live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against
such things there is no law. Those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the
Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
You cannot be holy by merely making
a decision to be holy, it is something God does in you as you abandon the “old”
and embrace the “new”. What are you waiting
for? Stop making excuses for your sin.
Repent and yield your heart fully to God. Be holy because He is holy!
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