This is real life.

I wrote this journal entry on 7.19.07 when God first began dealing with me about the subject of holiness.

“My Thoughts on Holiness”

I’m reading so much about holiness and finally feeling like it’s something I can strive for. It’s amazing how all of God’s Word just fits together so perfectly. Several times in God’s Word it says “Be holy as I am holy” (Example: Leviticus 11:44). Seems a little far fetched, huh? Unreachable? That’s because it is! Listen to this: God “has saved us and called us to live a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). So we definitely can’t be holy without God’s grace.

Holiness is not just some list of rules telling us what we can’t do. It’s rather a lifestyle of how we do live. It’s God’s will for us to live a holy life. (I Thessalonians 4:7). I believe holiness is striving to become like Christ in every aspect of out lives--mentally, physically, spiritually. Holiness is the CHARACTER of God--it’s who He is. And God is perfect, right? We always hear that Jesus is the only perfect person because He never sinned. Yes, we ALL sin, but the Bible also says, “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Ok...so feeling like God puts crazy demands on our lives? Not really! We are called to be like Christ--to live like He lived, and two aspects of Christ’s life are holiness and perfection. Living in a world FULL of sin (including our own), this seems impossible. But in reading the Word, I find that God has given us everything we need to order to be like Him.

Listen! “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). WOW! There it is! We don’t have to live by our evil desires anymore because God has provided a way out--an escape--HIS DIVINE POWER! We can be God’s holy people, His bride, as long as we focus on the fact that it’s only by His grace and power that we can do so. Holiness doesn’t seem so unattainable anymore--we now realize it’s God’s requirement for our lives, and He gives us everything we need in order to LIVE IT OUT!!!