God Makes You Holy

Who Makes You Holy

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

Exodus 31:12-13 NIV

Sometimes when we read a verse like this we forget that the point is that God makes us holy. We get caught up in legalism about if wether the lack of attendance is a sin or not. But that's not the real point. The point is that it is the Lord who makes us holy. We don't go to church to try to be holy, we go to church to be reminded that God makes us holy. 

This calls to mind one of my favorite verses: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV Christ is our holiness and in him we are made holy. Think about communion. We don't take communion to remember what we did, we remember what Christ did, that his body was broken and his blood was shed. In Christ we are made holy.

Quite frankly, I think most of the time when we go to church we are really just going out of habit or to seek a warm fuzzy. We forget that we are there to worship the Lord of all creation, the Lord God Almighty, our Savior and Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who make us holy. 

Two Sides of The Life of Faith

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV

Being holy and not allowing roots of bitterness are two sides of the life of faith.  Being holy is about what I do, while not allowing bitterness is about what you do to me. 

"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God" is like a bridge between the two. The grace of God applies to both you and me. You need grace and I need grace.  I am going to try to be holy but, I will fail sometimes (that's not an excuse, that's just reality) I will fall short of holiness. Now, the author of Hebrews doesn't say, "See to it that no one falls short of holiness" he says, "the grace of God".  Our faith is in his grace, not our holiness. 

Bitterness comes when I have unreal expectations of myself and/or others. I forget that I sin and that others will sin, too. I forget that Jesus is interceding for me, because I sin. I need grace. Just as God in Christ forgives me, I need to be forgiving others. Grace allows us both to rest in Christ's holiness. 

Word of the Day: Redeemed, Christ redeemed you.

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Psalms 77:15 NIV

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

As you head into Friday remember that you are redeemed. Christ bought you, paid off your debts of sin (past, present and future). He redeemed you. He is your righteousness. He is your holiness. 

Christ did not come to give us a second chance at being righteous. We weren't saved to seek holiness by our own efforts. No, he redeemed us to live by faith in his righteousness, holiness. 

Because of Him

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

This is, for me, one of my go to verses. When I'm feeling condemned, I remember that Christ Jesus is my righteousness, holiness and redemption. Where is my righteousness? How am I holy? Who redeems me? In Christ Jesus. 

So, I encourage you to remember this verse and when you read about righteousness, holiness and redemption, remember that God in his wisdom gave all that to us in Christ.  

IS HOLINESS DO'S OR DON'TS

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:14 -16 (NIV)

When you become a Christian you repent from living one way and choose to live another. You do  a complete U-turn from living according to the rules of the world and begin to obey the Spirit in holiness. We learn that just as Jesus loved us and died for our sins, we are to love others and die to ourselves. 

Holiness, to me, isn't just about, or even mainly about not doing some things. Holiness is more about treating others with the same grace that God shows me in Christ. Someone once told me to leave people a way out. Don't put them into a corner from which their only exit is to fight their way out through you. 

Think about this: Christ is our way out. 

God does not sit us in a corner and just tell us how awful we are, even though it is true. He offers us a way out in the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Christ. We are to do the same for others. We offer the grace, God changes the heart. 

Now, if you are in a corner and you have sinned, forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand. Christ did not die that we could sin again. He died that we might be free from sin and death. Grace is to change your heart and mind. Remember, you are free to live in the forgiveness and love of God.

Father, help us to love and you have loved us and to be holy as you are holy. Praise be to you in us today!

YES YOU ARE

"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Hebrews 10:10, 12-13

Sometimes I don't feel too holy. I don't think I ever feel perfect. But, in God's eyes, seen through the holiness and perfection of Christ, I am being made holy! 

Isn't that the good news, the gospel? We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all! That is good news! Right now, in God's eyes, if you are in Christ, you are holy! 

And we are being made holy. You see, part of salvation is the end of it all. We are saved and we are going to heaven. The other part is in the here and now, the "being made holy" part which is often called sanctification. Salvation is not just from the overall effect of sin which is death, but, salvation is also from the rule of sin in the here and now, in our daily lives. We are being made holy. 

Christ's sacrifice is complete and our salvation is a complete salvation. The trials we go through are vehicles that the Holy Spirit uses to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ. That is the plan. Don't be surprised, God's not. 

Are you holy? Yes, you are. You are holy and you are being made holy.

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Make us, mold us, and use us. Praise be to you in us today!

BOASTFUL THANKS

"He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast  before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom of God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."" I Corinthians 1:28-31

Thank you, Lord, for being our righteousness, holiness and redemption! 

What are you thankful for! 

A PRAYER TO BE NOBLE: II Timothy 2:20-21

"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the later, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." II Timothy 2:20-21

Father, I am thankful to be part of your family and part of your house. Cleanse me from that which is ignoble. Give me a heart for you, your word and your people. Teach me your ways and lead me in your paths of righteousness. Thank you, my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, for being my righteousness! Make me useful and prepared for any good work. Praise be to you in me today! 

THE GRACE OF HOLINESS: II Timothy 1:9

"Who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time". II Timothy 1:9

God didn't call you or me because we were particularly special or anything. He just saved us because he is gracious and we really need his grace. And he called us for a purpose. He called us to be holy. 

The problem I have with being holy is that I often confuse holiness with perfectionism, what some might call sinless perfectionism. I know I am not perfect and I sometimes can get down on myself because I know that I am but a man. I know that I John 1:8 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." Yet, sometimes I can't believe I still struggle with some things! It seems that God is not surprised or taken aback, just me. The point is that being holy is more about reliance upon the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross than me not being perfect. That is good news!

Father, thank you for the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Thank you that your grace stretches this far. Praise be to you in us today!

CONTROL YOURSELF IN HOLINESS AND HONOR: I Thessalonians 4:3-4

We live in a world that has a very specific purpose. That purpose is to lead us away from God. So, I find it odd that so much of the world's beliefs about self-control are held by Christians. The world tells us that we can not control our desires and that love is something you fall into.  The world tells us that we are animals and we can't control those deep animalistic desires. That's not what the Bible teaches.

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable." I Thessalonians 4:3-4 

God's will should be the goal of all we do. If God wills it, then shouldn't it pretty much be a done deal? Yes, he is faithful to complete the work he began in you. His will is that we be sanctified. That we purify ourselves from this world. The world pushes sexual immorality. We avoid it. 

The world tells us that we must give into urges  but God tells us learn to control your body. You learn to control your body by seeking to be holy and honorable. Holiness has to do with being set apart. Sometimes we just need to be apart from what ever it is that seeks to control you. That is why is Proverbs it says to run. Don't think about it, run. 

The other side of sanctification is the do part. Do honorable deeds. Treat people honorably. That is why service  is so important. Thinking about others requires you to die to yourself. Service is about others, not yourself. Service is about being God's hands and feet, reaching out to others in Jesus' Name and letting God love through you. 

It is God's will that you learn to control your own body. Decide what to do with yourself. Choose to serve. 

Father, help us to avoid sexual immorality, teach us to control our own bodies in holiness and honor. Praise be to you in us today!