IS YOUR LIFE HOLY?
Have you ever met someone who made you say, “The only thing holy about him is his socks!” Were you looking in the mirror at the time? It is so easy to see the faults in others. Yet, the saying of our school teachers still rings true: Whenever you point the finger at others there are four others pointing back at you.
The Apostle Paul gives strong instruction in 1 Thessalonians 4:7: FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO BE IMPURE, BUT TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE. God expects us to live holy, but how do we do it? We learn to live holy the way we learn anything–by being around it. Holy living is the product of being close to the holy God.
Jesus set a beautiful example for living holy by staying close to God. Before Jesus began his ministry, what did He do? He spent 40 days on a fasting retreat, alone with God, in the desert. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, what did he do? He spoke with God–giving him glory in advance. Before Jesus faced imprisonment, crucifixion and death, what did He do? He prayed earnestly to God, asking for a way of escape, or strength for the ordeal. Before Jesus breathed his last breath, what did He do? He prayed to God–Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
Not only did Jesus set the example, he explained what we should do. The command of Jesus was that we should pray at least daily. The model prayer he taught us says, “Give us this day our DAILY bread,” The Apostle Paul explained further that prayer is a life style. He said that we should pray without ceasing. Probably one of the greatest apostles of our day is neither an American, nor even a Westerner. Dr. Cho prays three hours every day when he is in his home country of Korea. When he travels to Japan he says the spiritual darkness there requires that he pray five hours. Perhaps in America it is even more! And, do you not believe that if he were at FDC-Miami he would indeed “pray without ceasing?”
Why can we expect that our lives will become holy if we will spend time with a holy God? Scripture describes the exact holy behavior that will come out of such living. Galations 5:22-23 proclaims: BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.
Not only must we stay close to a holy God to learn holy living, we must practice holy living. Holy living is the product of DOING holy deeds. We have already mentioned prayer. Fasting is also powerful. Note that Jesus never argued THAT we should fast. In Matthew 6:16 He said: WHEN YOU FAST, DO NOT LOOK SOMBER AS THE HYPOCRITES DO.
Helping the helpless. Recall Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan. The community leaders have no time for their fellow Jew in trouble. The religious leaders are also too busy. Ultimately, it is a Samaritan–despised by the Jews–who takes the time to help the helpless. How sad it would be if one of our Christian brothers on the unit was depressed and no other Christian bothered to consol him. Finally, someone of another religion took care of him. Let it not be! Also, do not only help those you think need it more than you do. Sometimes by helping people with seemingly small problems, you win great favor from God. In Mark 9:41 Jesus said: I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO GIVES YOU A CUP OF WATER IN MY NAME BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO CHRIST WILL CERTAINLY NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.
The next area of holiness is a subject of some controversy. Scripture supports the principle of tithing. However, money always brings division. It is one of Satan’s best tools. Study this section carefully. If God is speaking, be obedient. If you find error, or perhaps overly strident legalism, ask God what is true, and discard all else. We will still love each other. Amen? When we think of tithing–or giving a tenth of what we have to God–we need not focus narrowly on money. Consider any gifts or talents you may have. However, if you do have money–think seriously about what your family is doing for God. The principle of giving our first fruits to God is not “an Old Testament commandment that is no longer valid in the New Testament.” Giving to God precedes the commandments. Cain and Abel both gave of the first fruits of their labor. It was Abraham who first gave a tenth of what he had to the priest, Melchizedek. Note that this was probably more than five hundred years prior to the giving of the commandments. (See Genesis 14:18-20). Jesus affirms the importance of giving to God in his teaching about treasures in heaven. In Matthew 6:19-21 He says: DO NOT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK IN AND STEAL. BUT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DO NOT DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK IN AND STEAL. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.
Do not try to make yourselves riches on earth, while ignoring the kingdom of God. Your earthly riches can be wiped out. On the other hand, all that you do for the kingdom of God will be eternal. Statistics tell us Christians are giving 2% of their incomes to God’s work. However, what really seems to be happening is that 20% of Christians are giving 10%, and the rest are putting $1-5 in the plate. My prayer is that when you return to your families and bring them into the house of God, you will want to give a portion of your income to God’s work. Some day your pastors may thank me!
Another important discipline that promotes holy living is studying the Word of God. Learning what God says is commanded in both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says: THESE COMMANDMENTS THAT I GIVE YOU TODAY ARE TO BE UPON YOUR HEARTS. IMPRESS THEM ON YOUR CHILDREN. TALK ABOUT THEM WHEN YOU SIT AT HOME AND WHEN YOU WALK ALONG THE ROAD, WHEN YOU LIE DOWN AND WHEN YOU GET UP. TIE THEM AS SYMBOLS ON YOUR HANDS AND BIND THEM ON YOUR FOREHEADS. WRITE THEM ON THE DOORFRAMES OF YOUR HOUSES AND ON YOUR GATES. The Apostle Paul confirms the importance of Bible study in 2 Tim. 3:15-17: AND HOW FROM INFANCY YOU HAVE KNOWN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, WHICH ARE ABLE TO MAKE YOU WISE FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED AND 9IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING AND TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK. Why is Bible study important. The world of computers has given us a simple explanation in the phrase, G.I.G.O.: Garbage In Garbage Out. In other words, what you feed your mind and heart is what you become.
As important as it is to do and be good, living holy also requires NOT LIVING unholy. Holy living is the product of avoiding impurity. Let us consider three areas in which impurity would attempt to destroy our ability to live holy. Impurity of the mind is first. TV, magazines, and other media feed our minds, sometimes for good, but too often for ill. These forms of entertainment often lead us to lust for sex or for revenge. We often focus of well-known ministers who have fallen into sexual immorality. However, how many of us have had our Christian testimonies weakened by the more subtle sin of wasting our precious thoughts on sexually stimulating thought. We think it is not serious. However, how can we meditate on God and his commands while entertaining such garbage? It is a slow spiritual poison that we must rebuke in our thought lives. Revenge is equally seductive–especially in this place. Most of us may believe there are those giving false testimony against us. Then we daydream about how we would like to punish them for causing us to be separated from our families and from freedom. Yet, God says revenge belongs to him. We are to pray for those who wrongly use us.
Another difficult area that can hamper our holy living is impurity of the tongue. Joking is often a cover for such sins. We tell sexual jokes in order to “be one of the boys.” Perhaps we even indulge in racial jokes, sometimes in order to feel better about ourselves. The most direct attack, of course, is when we joke about individuals. We speak these wicked words, and then excuse it by saying, “I was just joking.” God is not pleased when we make fun at the expense of other groups or individuals. Nor is he willing that we should make light of sin. Proper humor is a medicine, but too much of what we call joking is base and mean-spirited.
Angry words are another temptation. Jesus had no tolerance for hotheaded speech. In Matthew 5:22 HE PROCLAIMED: ANYONE WHO SAYS, “YOU FOOL!” WILL BE IN DANGER OF THE FIRE OF HELL.
A final area to be careful about is using humiliation in order to “teach” someone. To criticize someone in public, or to badger someone over mistakes is not the act of a teacher, but of one full of pride. Be careful of instruction laced with sarcasm or condescension. A true teacher makes his student feel pride. “My teacher believes I can learn–that is why he trusts me with the information.”
The third category of Impurity is that of deed: Galations 5:19-21 details examples extensively: THE ACTS OF THE SINFUL NATURE ARE OBVIOUS: SEXUAL IMMORALITY, IMPURITY AND DEBAUCHERY; IDOLATRY AND WITCHCRAFT; HATRED, DISCORD, JEALOUSY, FITS OF RAGE, SELFISH AMBITION, DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS AND ENVY; DRUNKENNESS, ORGIES, AND THE LIKE. I WARN YOU, AS I DID BEFORE, THAT THOSE WHO LIVE LIKE THIS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Note that nearly all sins are obvious. We know we are wrong, but we do it anyway. God knows when sins are unintentional. BUT, sometimes we do not know right from wrong in a particular instance because we do not want to know. God is no fool. Ignorance is not a total excuse.
What can we conclude concerning holy living? First, let us draw close to God so that we may live holy. Let us practice holy living by doing the good we know to do. Finally, Let us remain holy in our living by rejecting what is impure.
