For
nearly 100 years a giant oak tree stood at the southwest corner of the
Wabash Park Campground at Clay City, Indiana. The great tree stood
proudly for a century--a symbol of strength.
It
survived hard winters and fierce storms. Then, one spring it died. When
I helped remove the huge oak, I discovered that an insect had devoured
the interior of the mighty tree. Though strong on the outside, the oak
had gradually become weak and vulnerable inside.
To
become a holy person, strong and able to withstand the storms of life,
we must allow God to work in us--both inside and outside. Many people
live one way in public and another way in private. But a holy person is
authentic--the same in one situation as another, the same inside as
outside. Talk and walk agree; claimed values match actual priorities.
To Enter Heaven
God's Word (and the Free Methodist Church) teaches that we are to live
a holy life if we expect to enter heaven.
Nothing
impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is
shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the
Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).
Make every effort to live
in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see
the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
The Holy Spirit, our Enabler
God expects us to be holy, but He has not left us without His help. He
gives the plan in John 14, 15 and 16 where Jesus taught three truths
about the Holy Spirit:
- The
Holy Spirit came to take the place of Jesus' bodily presence on earth.
- The
Holy Spirit is the same Spirit that lived in Christ and is to live
within us.
- The
Holy Spirit is to reproduce the character of Christ in us (make us
holy).
The
Bible invites all Christians to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians
5:18). How does this happen? The moment we receive Jesus as Savior, the
process begins. Christ becomes our Savior when we first trust in Him and
receive forgiveness for our sins.
The
next step is to give Him absolute control of our lives. When we
surrender our self-centered, self-controlled lives to Christ, He fills
us with His Holy Spirit so we may live Christ-centered,
Christ-controlled, holy lives.
If
we are to be holy, authentic persons, we must surrender ourselves to
God. God takes us and washes us clean. And He continues to cleanse us
as we stay surrendered. Self is not destroyed, but truly discovered.
When we are entirely His, we become the persons we are meant to be.
The process
The promise and the process for becoming a holy person is given in 1
John 1:7-9. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (v9)."
Confession
comes first. We can never be free from anything we refuse to admit.
When I admit my sins, He forgives them. When I confess my
self-preoccupation and admit that the contents of my heart are impure,
He purifies my heart. I am cleansed. I am pure.
Continuation is
next. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies
us from all sin (v 7)." The way to keep pure is keep living in the
truth of God's Word.
It's
wonderful to begin a faith journey, but staying at it and following
through is crucial. It's like saying one big "YES" to God, followed by
"Uh huh" every day.
On
the right track!
What
indicators help us know if we're on the right track--becoming holy, authentic, whole
Christians?
Ask
yourself these questions:
Have
I made Jesus Christ Lord of my life?
Do
I meet regularly with others who are eager to know God
better?
Do
I spend time in prayer and read God's Word?
Do
I look and listen for His guidance?
My
truck has an instrument panel. Gas, oil and temperature guages warn me
if the engine overheats, the oil supply runs low, or the gas tank is
nearly empty. God gives each of us a personal inner "instrument panel"
to alert us when we're moving into a danger zone.
How
is your spiritual instrument panel reading? Are you running near empty,
or are you filled with the Holy Spirit? God is faithful.--
What
we offer, He takes.
What He takes, He cleanses.
What He cleanses, He fills.
What He fills, He uses.
God
expects and enables us to live a holy life through continuous infilling
of his Holy Spirit.
