Why Am I Not Holy?

…I asked the Lord.

“Because you do not want to be,” answered Jesus.

“Of course I want to be holy,” I protested.

“Then be holy because I am holy says my Word,” Jesus reminded me.

“You are not holy because you do not want to be.”

That is what the Lord taught me this weekend.

The Apostle Peter teaches me to be…

    “…as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

When I get up every morning and I do not read my Bible and cover myself in prayer, I chose not to be holy. The Apostle Paul teaches us:

    “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” (2 Timothy 2:14-19)

“You see David, it is right there. If you claim me as your Lord you are to turn away from wickedness and be holy. It is a matter of choice. You sin because you chose to sin. You do not do good because you choose to do evil,” Jesus admonished me.

“Yes Lord, I confess that is true,” I meekly claim.

Jesus exhorts me to “do as my brother James teaches.”

    “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:21-27)

There is so much in that passage I do not know where to begin! I do not approach or receive the Word in humility because I have not laid aside all the moral filth and evil of this world. I still love part of this world; ashamedly I admit more than I love my Savior. Forgive me Jesus!

And of course He forgives me. I am in a forgiven state as a born-again believer of Jesus Christ. But I must confess, that is agree with His Holy Word so I can once again experience that forgiveness and be in fellowship with Him. I must be holy because He is holy. That is the beautiful hope Christians have in Christ.

    “…because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel…” (Colossians 1:5)

“You see David you must realize your hope is in holiness; to live in heaven on earth you need to live in holiness. That needs to be the intent of your life. Consider what my saint Oswald Chambers said of holiness:”

    “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.”

“Lord Jesus, help me to accept You so I can be made holy by You. I want to have a right relationship with you.”

Amen.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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