September 01, 2011
. . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ —1 Peter 1:16
We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.
Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atonement through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer.
Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.
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September 1, 2011
Journal for Today-JDV
Lord, the notion that I can be holy in all my thoughts and actions is a bit overwhelming. I know just how far removed from holy I am, and it seems like a long, long way. Especially when someone cuts me off in traffic or a colleague or friend challenges my motives or integrity. I have seen just how fast I can go from holy to NOT.
And God says…”You are correct, there many ways in which you are not holy, but if you think about your motives and actions today compared to days past, you will see Me working and growing inside of you. There is less of you and more of Me. Continue to focus on Me and be connected. Pray without ceasing, (that is, stay in communication with me) acknowledge Me in all you ways, and observe more of Me and less of you. As I live within you, holiness grows.”
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