Be Holy?

Eyes fixed on Jesus

If we are honest it is difficult to live to a set of values and ideals isn’t it. Its difficult to proclaim on a Sunday morning that we want to be like Jesus yet lose it in the office on a Monday or with the family on the way back from Church. Is it just me or do you have those moments as well, hands up please if you are perfect 100% of the time you should be giving this message not me. The thought of being holy just at times seems impossible unattainable. No we are human, God knows what we are:

Genesis 6:4-6 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

Sometimes its easier to deaden our hearts to wrap ourselves in religious clothing and rituals then distance ourselves from the world in an inward looking introspective holy huddle called Church. BUT! That’s not what God wants is it? Not the God who sent his only son Jesus to live as a human to, to die on a cross if our God was a God of religion he could have just sent a list of rules or a book to guide but our God is a God of relationship a God of love who is not distant and remote a God who loves and is closer than skin we wear. Our God the great I AM the most Holy one speaks to our hearts and says things like in 1 Peter 15 – 16 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. When we give our lives to Jesus we often claim that we want to live like him and be like him, if that is true we need to be holy and take it to the world in need

Take heart

At this point it could be so easy to go on a guilt trip to give up, me holy well that’s impossible, the thoughts I have, the acts I do and then there’s my attitudes all far for the Christ likeness idea we would want. Then you think of the way of our Lord we Christians don’t typically wear clothes or embellish ourselves with markings to be obviously “Christian” people are meant to know that we are by the way we are, the love of Christ flowing out or us to those around us. This sounds a tough one doesn’t it, I mean can any of us honestly claim that say if every one we had met or interacted with over the previous week was questioned and asked what we were like that all would report back that its was just like being in the presence of Jesus? But take heart don’t lose faith, look at Pauls prayer to the Ephesians to us look at the words and I would ask you to consider them from these perspective of living like Jesus:

Verses 16 – 18 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

Do you get it this is not about us its not down to our strength and character, thank God its not as if it were we would fail. No its out of Gods glorious riches, out of that never ending ocean of love that we can draw our love the love of Christ and let that love flow to all around us every one we meet. I’ll ask a question, tell me what is Gods treasure here on earth? Answer, people you, me and all you will ever meet.

I’ll ask another question, tell me of anyone Jesus did not or would not love? Answer there is none. So our journey begins when we give our lives to Jesus then Christ himself is routed and established in our hearts

Do you see we are not alone our God will never leave or forsake us, he come with us at the centre of our very beings we just need to remember and open our hearts to that amazing love and let Christ dwell on our hearts. This is gives us freedom, in our surrender we become free in Christ, we are then given the greatest of liberties think about it we don’t have to prove ourselves anymore, when you are accepted and adopted by God what greater acceptance could there be . Answer there is none.