Growing in Holiness
I want to grow in holiness so I can be, more and more, in the presence of God.
This is the point of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus ascended and showed us how to follow Him there.
Matthew 5:48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 7:13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Psalm 24:3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Don't believe a self-centered false gospel. There is so much that needs to change about a man to be in the presence of God, but you can't do any of the actual work yourself. You admit to God where you need to change, give Him access, and He washes you clean...day by day, request by request. This is how we keep coming closer to God. He draws us, we say yes, He changes us as we ask Him to, and then He draws us some more.
When I am really growing closer to God, I have the same reaction as Isaiah: I realize how unlike Him I am and I mourn it:
Isaiah 6:5So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”
8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
The minute I think "I dont need to change to be close to God" is the minute I begin to fall away from Him... He loves me right now...but He loves me too much to allow me to stay as I am right now. If I want to get closer, I have to reach for more holiness.
This is the point of running your race and working out your own salvation. No one will see God without holiness.
Hebrews 12:14Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
This is the point of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus ascended and showed us how to follow Him there.
Matthew 5:48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 7:13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Psalm 24:3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Don't believe a self-centered false gospel. There is so much that needs to change about a man to be in the presence of God, but you can't do any of the actual work yourself. You admit to God where you need to change, give Him access, and He washes you clean...day by day, request by request. This is how we keep coming closer to God. He draws us, we say yes, He changes us as we ask Him to, and then He draws us some more.
When I am really growing closer to God, I have the same reaction as Isaiah: I realize how unlike Him I am and I mourn it:
Isaiah 6:5So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”
8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
The minute I think "I dont need to change to be close to God" is the minute I begin to fall away from Him... He loves me right now...but He loves me too much to allow me to stay as I am right now. If I want to get closer, I have to reach for more holiness.
This is the point of running your race and working out your own salvation. No one will see God without holiness.
Hebrews 12:14Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
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