Be Holy
In my last blog I talked about love. Love goes to the heart of the matter, which is the heart. Love is the summation of all the law and prophets (Matthew 22:36-40). It is also how the world will know we are truly Christ's disciples (John 13:35).
Right on the heels of this popular message of love, the Holy Spirit began speaking to me about holiness. I daresay this is a much less popular topic than love. One rarely comes across the word holiness or even the idea of holiness nowadays. In hindsight, however, it's not at all surprising to me given his name -- the HOLY Spirit.
First and foremost, holiness is something we are to be. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, in Christ, we are made holy (1 Peter 1:2). We are not holy in and of ourselves. One result of this inner transformation is an outward change in behavior. We are to put away the old self and put on the new self (see Ephesians 4:22-24 and Colossians 3:1-14).
I mentioned that the Holy Spirit recently began speaking to me about holiness. For me, this started with the conviction of idolatry in my life. According to John Eldredge, "Most of our idols also have a perfectly legitimate place in our lives." In Isaiah 44, the prophet speaks of this as he describes a man who cuts down a tree in the forest. He uses the wood to make a fire to warm himself and to make some bread for food. So far so good. But he doesn't stop there. With the rest of the wood, he makes a god and worships and prays to it!
Isaiah declares,
What I learned and what I am encouraging you to do is to stop and reflect. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out any idols in your life. Bring your heart before the Lord and ask him to purify you. It's not an easy or fun process but the result is life and freedom!
Right on the heels of this popular message of love, the Holy Spirit began speaking to me about holiness. I daresay this is a much less popular topic than love. One rarely comes across the word holiness or even the idea of holiness nowadays. In hindsight, however, it's not at all surprising to me given his name -- the HOLY Spirit.
You must be holy because I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)Peter wrote these words right after encouraging us with the good news of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ. In light of all Christ has done, Peter calls us to holy living. It is our reasonable response (see Romans 12:1-2). It is also what God commands of us (see Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 20:26).
First and foremost, holiness is something we are to be. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and, in Christ, we are made holy (1 Peter 1:2). We are not holy in and of ourselves. One result of this inner transformation is an outward change in behavior. We are to put away the old self and put on the new self (see Ephesians 4:22-24 and Colossians 3:1-14).
I mentioned that the Holy Spirit recently began speaking to me about holiness. For me, this started with the conviction of idolatry in my life. According to John Eldredge, "Most of our idols also have a perfectly legitimate place in our lives." In Isaiah 44, the prophet speaks of this as he describes a man who cuts down a tree in the forest. He uses the wood to make a fire to warm himself and to make some bread for food. So far so good. But he doesn't stop there. With the rest of the wood, he makes a god and worships and prays to it!
Isaiah declares,
Such stupidity and ignorance!... The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood!" (Isaiah 44:18-19)Because we don't stop to reflect, we are unable to see the lie and we end up giving our hearts over to something or someone other than God. What are these potential idols that also have a legitimate place in our lives, you ask? They are legion. Here are a few:
- A spouse
- A girlfriend/boyfriend
- Food
- Drink
- Comfort/Leisure
- Sports
- Work
- Ministry
- Money
- Exercise
- Entertainment
- Sex
- House
- Car
What I learned and what I am encouraging you to do is to stop and reflect. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out any idols in your life. Bring your heart before the Lord and ask him to purify you. It's not an easy or fun process but the result is life and freedom!
God's will is for you to be holy. (1 Thess. 4:3a)
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