Live Holy Lives

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
(1 Thessalonians 4:7)

How do I live a holy life? Do I act piously as I give the homeless person in the street a sandwich, to be considered holy? Does the money I put in the collection plate make me holy? Is there something I should do, that I’m not doing, that will help me qualify as living a holy life? The one thing I can do is to copy the actions of my Lord and Savior when he walked through Judah and Samaria. His life was the purest life ever lived because he did it without a single sin. He knows I can’t live up to that standard, but he wants my very best effort at achieving purity.
God has called me to obey his commandments, and thereby live a righteous life. After all, I am his ambassador to an unbelieving world. If my behavior is no different than the rest of the sin filled world, what’s going to attract the people who need salvation? I can tell people all day long about Jesus and the good news of salvation. However, if I party until I’m drunk every chance I get, are they going to believe me? How do I live a holy life? The only way I know, is to follow the example left to me by Jesus himself. His whole ministry was about serving others.
He could have come as a conquering king or simply wiped all of humanity out and started over. Instead, he came to offer all of mankind redemption from eternal punishment in hell. Knowing they would desert him, he could have rejected his disciples after his last supper. Instead, he washed their feet. He could have called down legions of angels and refused to go to the cross. Instead, he willingly allowed himself to be sacrificed in a most horrific way.
If I am dishonest in my dealings with others or amoral in my personal relationships, how am I different from any other sinner on the planet? As a believer, I know I could be the most faithful follower of Jesus and still not be perfect. Nor will I ever be this side of Glory, but God still wants me to try my hardest. When I slip and fall into sin, all that’s required is to repent and ask for the Father’s forgiveness and I’m right back on solid footing. I try to always remember unbelievers watch to see if I’m living my faith or not. Whether they are watching or not, I know God is!




Heavenly Father, we love and worship you because you are holy. You love us even when we turn our backs on you. Jesus asked for forgiveness for the people who hung him on the cross, Jew and Roman. Remind us we cannot live pure lives if we’re holding grudges in our hearts for sins committed against us in the past. We are happy to accept your forgiveness for our sins, but we’re slow to forgive others. Help us, Father, to put our past wickedness behind us. There is nothing from our sinful past that should make us want to return. Please forgive our temporary slips backward and help us get back on the righteous path. You did not save us, that we might continue to live sinful lives, so we need your help to stay on the straight and narrow. When we’re tempted by all that glitters and glows, and attracts us to the secular world, give us strength to resist. Don’t let us hear the whispers of the devil, who only wants to distract us from you. Give us ears to hear the indwelling Holy Spirit as he gives us guidance on how we can be holy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!
Location: Kendall, NY 14476, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotional for May 12 - May 18

Image
To all my readers: I am changing this blog to a weekly format. I am being forced to do it this way because this blog site is saying my blog is too short to continue publishing. I purposely try to keep it short so you will have time to read it every day. I hope you will understand and keep reading. Thank you, Brad Hopkins May 12 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15) Meditation Before I was saved, I worked in a very competitive environment. Many of my co-workers were very jealous of the accomplishments of others. I have to confess; I too would get that green-eyed feeling if I didn’t get promoted when I thought I deserved it. Outwardly, I showed a happy face. I would congratulate the person who was recognized or promoted, but inwardly I was terribly envious. I received as many promotions as most in my career field, but I couldn’t rejoice for others because of jealousy and covetousness. I didn’t know how to deal with grief s...
Read more

Preach the Word

Image
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2) Meditation I used to think it was only the pastors job to preach the Word of God. I’m not a preacher, so it didn’t occur to me to share the gospel. However, this verse does not say, “Preachers, preach the word.” Whether you realize it or not, we are all ministers of the gospel. We have been charged with the awesome task of telling everyone about Jesus and why he went to the cross. When Jesus gave the “Great Commission,” to make disciples of all nations; he wasn’t just talking to his own disciples. He was speaking to every one of us. There is no other mission or calling more important than that for us. Even if we go to church every Sunday, but do nothing else, we’re not in the game; we’re just spectators. Jesus doesn’t want fans, he wants followers. Whether we’re in church or somewhere else, we’re responsible t...
Read more

Think About Heavenly Things

Image
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) Why have I spent so much time filling my mind with garbage? I’ve read unclean jokes or off-color cartoons and shared them on social media. I used to go to movies or watch things on television that are detestable to the Lord and thought nothing of it. My baser instincts are to gravitate toward the impure offerings of our entertainment industry. How can I, as a Christian, live a righteous life if I’m continuously feeding on the poisonous filth of this world? Instead, I should look for and promote the things that are wholesome and good. My money and time have power if I, as Christians, refuse to support the immorality that Hollywood puts out. If my ticket money, along with other Christians, is used to support good family entertainment, the fat cats in ...
Read more