THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, June 23, 2023

Lord, your Word speaks volumes about believers needing to live holy lives. “Be holy, as I am holy,” your Word mandates in 1 Peter 1:16. Christ followers’ holiness should make them stand out from the herd. We should reflect your love and grace to everyone. You have given us a message of reconciliation, how you, Lord, give the broken a clean slate and a new lease on life through placing our trust in you, Jesus. Sadly, at times our ‘holiness’ is a turnoff.

Over time, religions and the self-righteous strived to be holy by their own merits only to live frustrated and fearful.

One religious sect dresses a certain way that identifies them as holy. They carefully observe strict personal restrictions less they lose their salvation. Another group disciplines themselves to speak only in religious terms in all interactions. Good luck trying to have a normal conversation with these folks. Still others point fingers at fellow believers because they feel God must be worshiped a certain traditional way. They stomp their feet and claim anything deviant from their holy worship style is ‘blasphemous.’

It is easy to see how skeptics look at some believers as nutty as a fruitcake. Where is their joy that the Scriptures promised believers?

Your Word is plain who makes a believer holy—you do, Lord.

“Salvation that came through the [God’s] Spirit, who makes you holy …” 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“[God] he made you holy by means of Christ Jesus … “1 Corinthians 1:2

Lord, without exception, your work developing your followers’ holiness continues for a lifetime. Even the Apostle Paul stated he had yet to reach that point of holiness, (Philippians 3:12, 13).

Am I imperfect? Terribly so, without a doubt.

Forgiven? By your grace alone.

Holy? Certainly not by my efforts but only through you, Jesus.

For all who place their faith in you, Lord, this is our joy: our heavenly Father sees us as his holy people. That makes me wanna dance.

Amen.