+DEV+ Called To Be Holy

Date: January 12, 2014 9:23 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Called To Be Holy

Called To Be Holy

"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours..." (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Scripture Focus: Matthew 5:1-6

In his book The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges calls attention to this verse and writes, "We are through Christ made holy (sanctified) in our standing before God, and called to be holy in our daily lives." He asks readers to survey themselves and see if there is a yearning in their hearts to live a life pleasing to God. The desire for holiness may not consciously be present at the time we come to Christ, but the Holy Spirit will help that desire grow in us. The more we see Jesus and His holiness, the more we long to be like Him.

I find those thoughts to be challenging. How glad I am to know that I do have a hunger for holiness in my heart! But I am happier still to know that my Savior has lived the holy life for me that even the deepest longings of my heart could not produce. I may try and try to reach the level of purity He has called me to; most likely I will fail and fail. But I can rest in the fact that, as Paul says, I have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, not in myself!

Insight:  "Father thank you for placing within me a genuine hunger for Holiness. May my life be pleasing to you in every respect."


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