18 November 2014
What God Does for Me and in Me
John 17:17
Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
God makes Believers holy. He “sets us apart,” puts us in the set of people who are not having their sins held against them anymore.
But God told his chosen people long ago to be holy (Leviticus 11:44); so wouldn’t that make holiness something we do for ourselves?
1 Peter 1:13-16
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Apparently, holiness goes hand in hand with exercising self-control and obedience. So, once God has specially set us apart, we remain specially set apart. But I believe that holiness is still something God does for us and is not dependent upon my own skills in self-control or obedience because Jesus also said this: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) That means without Jesus, I don’t have the self-control or obedience skills necessary to be holy. (Neither did the Israelites; that’s why Jesus came!) It is Christ working inside my heart giving me the ability and the desire to do what pleases God (Philippians 2:13).
So, back to square 1. Holiness comes from God. Remaining holy means remaining with him, and he just keeps making me holy.
Dear God,
Keep making me holy! I love it! I love being in the category of people who are justified. You see me as though I have never done anything wrong simply because I believe in your Son. I LOVE this! Being holy is special, so special. Irreplaceable. Valuable. Freeing. So GOOD FOR MY HEART! Thank you, Lord, for what you have done for me and for what you continue to do in me. I love you and thank you and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
What God Does for Me and in Me
John 17:17
Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
God makes Believers holy. He “sets us apart,” puts us in the set of people who are not having their sins held against them anymore.
But God told his chosen people long ago to be holy (Leviticus 11:44); so wouldn’t that make holiness something we do for ourselves?
1 Peter 1:13-16
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Apparently, holiness goes hand in hand with exercising self-control and obedience. So, once God has specially set us apart, we remain specially set apart. But I believe that holiness is still something God does for us and is not dependent upon my own skills in self-control or obedience because Jesus also said this: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) That means without Jesus, I don’t have the self-control or obedience skills necessary to be holy. (Neither did the Israelites; that’s why Jesus came!) It is Christ working inside my heart giving me the ability and the desire to do what pleases God (Philippians 2:13).
So, back to square 1. Holiness comes from God. Remaining holy means remaining with him, and he just keeps making me holy.
Dear God,
Keep making me holy! I love it! I love being in the category of people who are justified. You see me as though I have never done anything wrong simply because I believe in your Son. I LOVE this! Being holy is special, so special. Irreplaceable. Valuable. Freeing. So GOOD FOR MY HEART! Thank you, Lord, for what you have done for me and for what you continue to do in me. I love you and thank you and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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