Day 84: Holiness Is Woven Into The Fabric Of Life
Read: Isaiah 29:13 - 14; 1 Peter 1:13 - 16
A father was telling his young son that it was time to get ready for
Sunday School. They would be leaving in just a few minutes. You know how
little boys can be. They are inquisitive. The boy asked his dad, "Did
you go to Sunday School when you were a boy?" The father gladly
answered, “Well yes I did." The boy looked disappointed as he said, "It
probably won’t do me any good either!" As he was preparing to become the
very first president of the United States, George Washington wrote to
Alexander Hamilton, "I hope that I shall possess firmness and virtue
enough to maintain what I very much consider to be the most enviable of
titles, the character of an honest man."
Arguably, One of the
greatest problems with Christianity today, are those people who
acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Him by their lifestyle. Their
lives do not line up with their testimony on Sunday morning. How has
your lifestyle reflected the holiness of God this past week? Are you
living the holy life that God has called us to live? People are
sometimes afraid to answer that question, because they aren't 100% sure what it means to live the holy life. To start with, from ground
level of the human condition, holiness has nothing to do with God's
highest standard of perfection - that being without blemish and without
sin. Romans 3:23 is clear that we all will, always and forever more, fall short.
It seems obvious that God has called us to holy living. But one of the biggest problems we face is that sometimes people don’t really don’t understand what
holiness means. That’s due in large part to the fact that through the
years we have heard some pretty unfortunate explanations as to what
holiness is and how it looks. For instance, some have taught that
holiness for a man means things such as NOT wearing shorts, NOT having
long hair, or NOT wearing jewelry…even to the point of not wearing their
very own wedding ring! For all you women out there, you were told holiness meant Always wearing a dress, NOT wearing makeup; NOT wearing jewelry; NOT cutting their hair.
13 And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
14 Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites
with amazing wonders.
The wisdom of the wise will pass away,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.” (Isaiah 29:13 - 14 NLT)
As you read this passage, can you envision our God looking down on us,
undoubtedly rolling up His eyes, shaking His head at us and saying those
all too prophetic words to Himself? What prophetic words of wisdom might God tug at our ear and whisper into? Perhaps: "Will you please just get a life!" "May I suggest a life lived through my Son?" "May I also likewise suggest that you 'think clearly and exercise
self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to
you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world?' "Would you mind if I
told you that all I hope for is that you are always striving to become better, stretching challenging yourself for holiness of heart is woven into the fabric of
life?"
Let Us Pray: Change my heart oh God Make it ever true Change my heart oh God May I be like You. You are the potter I am the clay Mold me and make me
This is what I pray In Jesus' most holy name. Amen Amen Amen
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Read: Isaiah 29:13 - 14; 1 Peter 1:13 - 16
A father was telling his young son that it was time to get ready for Sunday School. They would be leaving in just a few minutes. You know how little boys can be. They are inquisitive. The boy asked his dad, "Did you go to Sunday School when you were a boy?" The father gladly answered, “Well yes I did." The boy looked disappointed as he said, "It probably won’t do me any good either!" As he was preparing to become the very first president of the United States, George Washington wrote to Alexander Hamilton, "I hope that I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I very much consider to be the most enviable of titles, the character of an honest man."
Arguably, One of the greatest problems with Christianity today, are those people who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny Him by their lifestyle. Their lives do not line up with their testimony on Sunday morning. How has your lifestyle reflected the holiness of God this past week? Are you living the holy life that God has called us to live? People are sometimes afraid to answer that question, because they aren't 100% sure what it means to live the holy life. To start with, from ground level of the human condition, holiness has nothing to do with God's highest standard of perfection - that being without blemish and without sin. Romans 3:23 is clear that we all will, always and forever more, fall short.
It seems obvious that God has called us to holy living. But one of the biggest problems we face is that sometimes people don’t really don’t understand what holiness means. That’s due in large part to the fact that through the years we have heard some pretty unfortunate explanations as to what holiness is and how it looks. For instance, some have taught that holiness for a man means things such as NOT wearing shorts, NOT having long hair, or NOT wearing jewelry…even to the point of not wearing their very own wedding ring! For all you women out there, you were told holiness meant Always wearing a dress, NOT wearing makeup; NOT wearing jewelry; NOT cutting their hair.
13 And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
with amazing wonders.
The wisdom of the wise will pass away,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.” (Isaiah 29:13 - 14 NLT)
As you read this passage, can you envision our God looking down on us, undoubtedly rolling up His eyes, shaking His head at us and saying those all too prophetic words to Himself? What prophetic words of wisdom might God tug at our ear and whisper into? Perhaps: "Will you please just get a life!" "May I suggest a life lived through my Son?" "May I also likewise suggest that you 'think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world?' "Would you mind if I told you that all I hope for is that you are always striving to become better, stretching challenging yourself for holiness of heart is woven into the fabric of life?"
Let Us Pray: Change my heart oh God Make it ever true Change my heart oh God May I be like You. You are the potter I am the clay Mold me and make me This is what I pray In Jesus' most holy name. Amen Amen Amen
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Laura Story - Faithful God - Lyrics
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May
the grace that sought my heart on that first day Be the grace that
binds my heart to stay May the truth that opened up my eyes on that
first time
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