REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Sam Lee who leads Catalyst Agape Church in Northern New Jersey, was first posted on July 19, 2014. He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“How Can We Live a Life of Holiness?”
1 Peter 1:15-16
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.”
The prophet Isaiah saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple. The seraphim were calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory.” When Isaiah saw the holiness of God, this made him want to be holy. So he cries out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Though he hadn’t committed any heinous sins, just the normal things in which we all fail from time to time, and no one was really bothered about it, he cries out, “I live among a people of unclean lips!” The reason why Isaiah was so bothered by his sins was because He encountered the holiness of God.
Many want to live pure lives because of fear of punishment, or they try to avoid sin because of fear of being caught, but these reasons do not lead to a life of holiness. While fear of punishment might work for a little while, it doesn’t change the heart; and fear of getting caught might work when you are around other people, but fails when alone. A life of holiness and purity comes from encountering God. When there is an ongoing and growing connection with Christ, and you are growing in the knowledge of Him, you want to glorify Him instead of bringing His name down by immorality and impurity. As you become more intimate with Christ, you don’t want to hurt Jesus by sinning. And you come to realize that God is not trying to take away pleasures from your life, but He desires to protect you so you can receive what is best. When we know the grace of Jesus, we don’t give up on the life of holiness but are encouraged to pick ourselves up and try again.
Prayer: Lord, help me to desire to live a life of holiness. Lord, give me the strength to live that life. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 6-7