Holy Living

Chuckle: "Mom said she became an octogenarian on her last birthday. She can do as she wishes with her life, but I hope she doesn't will them all her money!"

Quote: "Holiness includes what we call moral goodness but moral goodness is not the same as holiness. It is only a constituent part of it." --Graham Leonard

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth" (Colossians 3:1-2 NLT).

What a different world it would be if all who claim to be Christians truly focused on making our lives holy before God. In this chapter, we can learn what true Christian behavior should entail. Paul emphasizes the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to change our moral and ethical standards and make us holy as God desires us to be. A right relationship with God will make us holy and result in right relationships with other believers.

A definition of "Holy" includes: "apartness, the separation of a person or thing from the common or profane for a divine use." It also means to be reverent, pure, and chaste. To paraphrase, we are set apart by God for His service, and are to be pure in mind and spirit as we serve Him. "But just as he who called us is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be Holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV). Let's look at some prerequisites for holy living.

First: We must belong to God. "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ." We must belong to God by establishing a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. We can try our hardest to live good moral and benevolent lives, and many people may benefit from our kindness. But if we don't belong to God, it will all be in vain. Being good will not make us belong to God -- and will not make us holy.

Second: If we belong to God, we are to "set our sights on the realities of heaven . . and let heaven (things above) fill our thoughts." Everything we do begins in our thoughts. If our thoughts are on the things of God, they will be reflected in the holy things we do. If we concentrate on the eternal rather than the temporal, it will show by the way we live and allow us to be holy as we live out God's purpose for us.

Third: If we belong to God, we will "not think only about things down here on earth." Sadly, our thoughts are not always completely pure and holy; and since God knows the thoughts and desires of our hearts, we can never meet God's standards for holy living while harboring sinful worldly thoughts and desires.

Howard Hendricks wisely observed, "It is foolish to build a chicken coop on the foundation of a skyscraper." The Christian who does not live a holy life is failing to utilize the foundation for his life that Christ has given him. When we are made holy, we will be "useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work" (2 Timothy 2:21 NIV).

Love, Jerry & Dotse