Walk of Life – Day 30 – September 2021 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. Proverbs 30:12
Step in to Be Holy
It is very easy to relate to this verse…a generation pure in their own eyes…people who feel they are always right and everyone around them is wrong. Such were the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ time…having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
It is important to understand that we cannot be holy by ourselves. our holiness is like filthy rags in the sight of God. We need to believe in the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus and accept his redemption in our lives to lead a pure and a holy life. What are the characteristics seen in a person who is living a holy life?
- Love: A life that shows the love of Christ is one that is holy. Christ’s love must be perfected in our lives.
- Obedience. A life lived in subjection to the Lord Jesus, obeying his perfect will for us.
- Power. Holy living is a consequence of have the Holy Spirit reside in your life. The Holy Spirit is God and has all his power which means the power of God resides in you as you live a life of holiness!
- Intimacy. When we lead a holy life, we enjoy an intimate relationship with the Lord. He speaks to us and we speak to Him.
- Devotion. One would have a deep desire to worship the Lord, pray regularly, and study and read the Word of God. Devotion enriches our lives in ways that cannot even be measured.
- Compassion. You cannot live a holy life if you do not show the love and compassion that Crist showed. He was even grieved in his heart for his persecutors and forgave those who executed him as he hung from the cross!
- Focus. Our focus in no more on ourselves. It is on the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
- Purity. It is a life lived in separation from the world. The ship is in water but the minute water begins to enter the ship, the ship will sink. We live in this world but the world should not live in us.
To live a holy life, one needs to completely and wholly surrender one’s life to the Lord Jesus as in Romans 12:1. Our life is lived in total consecration to Him. When people see us, they see Christ in and through our lives. The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace and the like are seen overflowing in our lives. There is no pride, no envy, no jealousy, no hatred, no unforgiveness, and no hypocrisy. A life live in accordance to God’s Word is a life well lived.
A true and faithful Christian does not make holy living an accidental thing. It is his great concern. As the business of the soldier is to fight, so the business of the Christian is to be like Christ.
Jonathan Edwards