Day 26 - Pursuing Holiness - part 1

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Abundant Life

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Day 26 - Pursuing Holiness - part 1

 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matt 5:48 (NIV)

On day 24 of our 31 days Journey toward the abundant life I said we would spend a few days honestly looking at the command to "Be holy, as (He)  is holy"(1 Peter 1:16).  You might have recoilled at the thought.   Thinking that though it was true in the Old Testament when we were under the law now we live in the time of grace.  It is true that we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that we do not need to earn our Salvation nor could we if we tried. However though we don't earn our salvation or have to work in order to keep it, it's also true that if we truly love Christ we will desire to do the things that please Him.  

As well Ladies, the 1 Peter 1:16 verse is from the New Testament and so is the verse that we started with today.  In fact it is the very words of Jesus.  I don't know about you, but when Jesus speaks I listen.  It seems to me that we can not deny the words or just brush them aside! It also seems to me that we can't just say He was speaking to the really spiritual only.  No, those Words were meant for all His children.  Take a look at the Amplified version of Matthew 5:48:

You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of 

godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height 

of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (Amplified Bible) 

Wow!  It sounds good right!?!  I want to be perfect: completely mature, and godly in mind and character!  Don't you?  When I think of perfect I don't think of the world's view of what a middle aged married mother should look like.  I think instead that being perfect would mean everything I'd do, think, and say would be as Jesus would.  Don't you think that would be ultimate perfection!  To love, live, and speak with all wisdom and discernment.  As well as knowing when to overflow with grace or when righteous anger is in order.  To see everything from His perspective not my fleshly paradigm.  Oh, if I could be free of my fleshly paradigm!  Yes! I'd love to be perfect.  Yet, at the same time I know in my flesh it has been impossible for me to be perfect.  What am I to do then, give up?  By no means!  Perhaps a key to how we pursue holiness can be found in Colossians chapter 3.

 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, 

 where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not 

on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

 Colossians 3:1-4

 "Set your hearts on things above" just what does that mean exactly.  It's repeated in this verse twice (second time it says "minds") and so we can know it's important.  I think that in order to set our  hearts & minds on things above we first need to know what they are.  The one reliable source that we have for that is the Word of God (the Bible).  Therefore ladies we need to be reading it through and through so that the Word can purify our hearts and minds transforming us.  As we read the Word of God setting our hearts and minds on things above we are to no longer to be consumed with the things of the world.  In Verse five of the same passage the Apostle Paul gives us further instruction.

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: 
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. "
Colossians 3:5(NIV)

Here the Apostle Paul says we are to put to death "whatever belongs to" our "earthly nature."  Dead things are dead! Right?! That means dear sisters that we go cold turkey!  Not a little dabbling here and there!  It's not even o.k for us to hold onto our idols or secret lusts just a little bit!  It's not o.k.!  We must utterly remove them, put them to death.  Not to earn or keep our salvation, but because our sin grieves God,  grieves the Holy Spirit and puts a wall between us and God.   Neither do we remove them because were afraid of God's wrath.  Though He may discipline!  But if He does it's as a loving and good Father would, not as an angry and abusive one.   

In the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul gave the Church of Ephesus a similar instruction:

 

"If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the 
truth is in Jesus:   that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the 
old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and 
be renewed in the spirit of your mind,"
Ephesians 4:21-23 (NIV)

Here the command for us is to put off our "former conduct." Ladies, let me remind you that these words are from the New Testament not the Old.  Therefore they are for us today!  Also, the Apostle Paul is writing to churches (believers).  That most likely means that many (or atleast some) of them who having accepted Christ as their Savior continued in their old behavior.  They needed to be told that they no longer should!  That they now have a new identity with Christ (child of God), a new home (heaven), and a new paradigm (framework) in which they view their circumstances and life while here.  As such they are to no longer behave in the same way instead they are too "put on":

 

"and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge 

according to the image of Him who created him, "

Colossians 3:10 (NKJV)

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, 
kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and 
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as 
Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  ¹⁴ But above all these things put on 
love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your 
hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the 
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one 
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your 
hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name 
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:12-17 

Dear Sister's what is God asking you today to finally put to death?  What behavior do you need to stop flirting with?  What conduct do you need to put off?

As for the lovely list of what we are to "put on," I know it can seem impossible and hard.  That's because on our own it would be compeletly impossible.   However we are not alone!  We who know Christ and are known by Him have the Holy Spirit indwelling us!  

 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

"as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and  godliness, 

through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,"

2 Peter 1:3 

Dear God, on our own we are incapable of living a life that pleases you!  We thank-you for Your Holy Spirit and for the transforming and stregthening work You have already begun in us and will complete.  Today Lord, help my Sisters in Christ put off their former conduct!  Then help them to put on  tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another as Christ forgave them.   May they also put on love and let the peace of God rule in their hearts. Let the word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom.  And whatever they do in word or deed, may they do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."