A call to holiness
CHRISTIANS CAN be holy and have fun. Holiness is not boring or unattainable, it is separation to God. Last week we mentioned that there are some principles outlined in the Bible that guide us as we walk holy. The first principle is that we must know and accept some truths about ourselves. We must accept that we are children of God. We are a Royal Priesthood who died to self and are alive to the Holy Spirit living in us.
This week, we continue to explore the principles taught in the scriptures. The second principle outlined in the Bible is:
I MUST PREPARE MY MIND FOR ACTION
Since we are children of God, we cannot be passive about it. As 1 Peter 1:13 (NLT) says, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action...” We must be mentally ready, having our minds in constant preparation to do God’s will or endure the trials of life. The call of Jesus to live a holy life is a call to nobility. But it is also a call to a strenuous life. Christianity is not a leisurely lifestyle designed for wimps, cowards and the unmotivated. It is an obstacle course designed for those who are prepared and strengthened for the task. In fulfilling this holy calling, we will be required to put out an all-inclusive spiritual, mental and even physical effort. Let us, therefore, prepare our minds for battle and set ourselves to the task of holiness.
Having accepted some truths about ourselves and prepared our minds for action, the third principle we want to address is:
I MUST BE SELF-CONTROLLED
Self-control is indispensable to our Christian walk. This is being free from many things that can capture our minds and render us useless in our service to God; such as pride, self-will, arrogance, greed, revenge, hate, laziness, lust, etc. We must constantly be on guard against these things that would weaken our resolve to be faithful, take our minds off the goal or convince us that there is some better or easier way.
Spiritual self-discipline is not the way of the world, but it is the only way to make it to heaven. When Jesus said; 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (RSV).
As we walk holy, exercising selfcontrol, preparing our minds for action and accepting the truth about who we are, we need to also follow the fourth principle outline in the Bible, which is:
I MUST LIVE WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW
One day we will have to give an account for our lives. The Apostle Peter wrote: “... Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world,” in 1 Peter 1:13 (NLT). What we are experiencing on earth is only temporary.
Too many of us have our focus on this life – YOLO – you only live once. But the Bible tells us that after physical death, there is eternal life. So, if our focus is only on the here and now, then clearly, we have no hope. Our hope should not be only for this life but also for the life after this ... eternal life. The Bible informs us that our hope for heaven is secured and well grounded because of the unchangeable nature of God. The writer of Hebrews says: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Hebrew 6:19 (NIV). When we anchor our hope in the eternal, it gives us the proper perspective. Eternal hope is available, but not everyone has taken hold of it. Thus, they are weak and susceptible to temptation. We have to remember that God will judge us all one day, and for some it will be a glorious day when those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour will be rewarded, but for others it will be, “...the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgement will be revealed.”Romans 2:5 (NIV).
We have to keep our eyes on the prize of eternity, so we don’t lose focus. We sometimes need to talk to ourselves to stay the course as we are not living only for today but for eternity. As 2 Corinthians 4: 1718 (NIV) states, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Yes, God is calling us to live a holy life, to be separated to him. For us to walk holy, we must know and accept the truth about ourselves, prepare our mind for action, be self-controlled and live with eternity in view.
Where is your focus today? What you focus on will determine who you become.
“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Romans 6:16 ESV).