The Expectation of Holiness

-


Scripture

2Cor. 7:1   Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Observation

Paul was concerned about the ways in which the Corinthians were living their daily lives. There was much pagan worship which occurred in that city and the influence among the believers was very great. God, however, promised that the Holy Spirit would provide for transformation in the lives of those who followed Christ. This transformation was not just in the Spirit, or in the Spiritual life but was to be witnessed in the body or the “fleshly” life as well. Holiness is not just about a spiritual condition, it is about wholeness and the daily life of an individual completely devoted to becoming God’s holy child.

Application

The expectation is for God’s holy people to be transformed in the fleshliness of our daily lives as we are empowered by the Spirit. There should never be a separation or distinction between our spiritual lives and the ways in which we live. Holiness is to be visible in how we behave day in and day out.

For the Corinthians holiness meant that they no longer engaged in pagan worship practices. They were to abstain from sexual immorality and were to make holiness the aim of their lives.

God’s plan is for us to be his holy people — this is the expectation. Holiness is not an optional part of the Christian life, it is the Christian life. As followers of Christ the Corinthians seemed to try and see how close to the edge of the world they could live and yet be called Christ followers. If that’s the focus of our lives, we have it all wrong. The center of our lives must be Christ and becoming more and more like him. The more I am like him, the more his holiness is reflected in and through me.

You and I are to be God’s holy children living in this world. That is the expectation for all of us. We are to bear the family resemblance and that is the promise. We are adopted as children and brought into the holy family. Live like it! Act like it! It’s our inheritance and expectation.

Prayer

Lord, please lead me to you today in all things. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more