Take time
to be Holy
Personal holiness begins with cleansing and
purifying our hearts daily and the time is NOW as we go
through this Lent season.
Let us get real people of
God!
My science background reminds me that the pH level of all the body's cells has profound effects on all body chemistry. If left unchecked, an imbalanced pH will interrupt all cellular activities, from the beating of your heart to breathing and the functioning of your brain. While this is an important health concept of an unseen nature, it also becomes a spiritual concept when you consider the pH level as the personal holiness level in your life.
The bold command given in
1 Peter 1:15-16 is intimidating but definite: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" Wow, obeying this verse can seem downright impossible as we continually realize our fallen state of sinfulness. We are sinners living in a sinful world, yet are called to be holy. To be holy is to be set apart from sin and impurity and set apart to God in a right relationship with Him. If the eyes of God are too pure to look upon sin (Hab.1:13) how can we reach for the holiness of God, let alone have it developed in our lives?
God wouldn't give a command without
providing the proper means for us to pursue it. An answer is
found in Psalm
24:3. This verse poses the questions, "Who
may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy
place?" If we stop at this verse, we can easily remain
locked in self-condemnation for guilt over sin, feeling
tension between the reality of living in a sinful world and
the call to be holy.
But thankfully, the psalmist goes on to resolve his question in verse 4, and does identify someone who can stand in his holy place: "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." Let's look at what is required to stand in the holy place of God.
Let us consider what it means to have
"clean hands." Imagine this scenario: It's dinnertime and
the family is called to the table. The kids have been
outside playing in the sand, and are starved. They bolt into
the house, sit down, and start to fill their plates to eat
while mom is still getting things on the table. She notices
they have not washed their hands, and sends them to go wash
their hands before dinner. Begrudgingly they do, but return
with grumpy attitudes because they managed to get in a fight
while washing their hands. Grrrrr...
.
Which scenario can you identify with -
the children ignoring their dirty hands and rushing to the
table, or the children willingly washing their hands before
a meal? It's better for us to approach our heavenly Father
with the attitude of knowing we have dirty hands (sin in our
heart) and seek His cleansing, than rushing into His holy
presence without being clean. While the Lord lovingly
accepts us as we are, our part is to continually seek His
forgiveness.
Psalm
51:7 says "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Here cleanse literally means to "un-sin me." Humbly come before God and ask the Holy Spirit to dismantle the barriers of sin. By confessing specific sins your relationship with God will be restored and renewed. This opens the gateway to allow God full access to your heart and have deeper fellowship with Him.
Next, the psalmist explains the need to have a pure heart. Having lived in India where the water is not pure, when I go there for a visit I am cautioned to drink only bottled water. Water is best when it is pure and filtered. To purify your thoughts and heart, apply Philippians 4:8 as a filter, "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 on these things." I love this verse and it challenges me to refocus self-centered thoughts back on to God's desires.
The evidence of personal holiness is
seen in how we live our lives - how we respond when we are
in a long checkout line, or cut off in heavy traffic, or
frustrated with a fussy child or rebellious teenager. Oswald
Chambers says, "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. AMEN!
Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life. When I respond with kindness instead of a natural response of wrath, or with peacefulness instead of fury, the godly response is not from my own strength, but from the power of God at work in me. A glimpse of His holiness shines through. AMEN somebody!
Though unseen, the hindrances of unconfessed sin and an impure heart lead to imbalanced pH in the Christian life. Remember, an imbalanced pH interferes with all life itself. If your personal holiness is out of balance, apply the curative solution found in Psalm 24 - cleansing from sin and purifying your heart. Then, through His grace, you can progressively pursue the holiness of God in your life and be set apart for Him. God bless you!
In His Holiness
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