Pursuing holiness

I’ve wrestled with writing this post for two months.   When you read it, maybe you’ll understand my inner turmoil.  Some of you will read and wholeheartedly agree with me.  Many, if not most of you, will not.

I’m really good at keeping my innermost thoughts to myself.  In the past, I’ve jumped to conclusions, jumped to judge others.  Since I’ve learned that is not my responsibility, and the freedom we have in Christ and that our God is a gracious God, I’ve cowered under the umbrella of “grace”.  When really all I’ve done is dismissed truth.  I learned a few months ago that Jesus was full of grace AND truth, and that most of us lean to one side or the other.  Either we’re mostly grace, with a little truth; or, we’re mostly truth with a tad bit of grace.  Jesus was 100% grace, 100% truth.  Since that epiphany, I’ve struggled.  Struggled to speak the truth for fear of being labeled judgmental, for fear of losing friends.  So many times I wish I were more like Paul than Peter.  Paul was more concerned about the truth, and less concerned with making friends and fitting in.  Peter was sometimes more concerned about his friends and his reputation than speaking the truth – thus denying that he knew Jesus.

So, when you read this, know that I have searched my heart to rid it of any judgment of others.  It is preceded by two months of prayer and searching the Scriptures.  It is born out of love, not a critical spirit.  And, I pray that it is full of grace, yet also full of truth.

It was in that message on grace and truth that my heart began to break.  So, I continued praying that my heart would break for the things that break the very heart of God.  I was surprised at the immediate answer I received – I want my children to pursue holiness. What??? What is that supposed to mean?  THAT breaks Your heart?  Then, these verses came to my mind.

“But as He Who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

 – 1 Peter 1:15

 

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:1,2

And, I love Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of this verse.....

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1,2 The Message)

We pursue holiness by placing our entire lives before God as an offering.  What we do, what we say, where we go, how we work, what we read, what we see, what we watch, how we parent, how we worship, how we spend money, how we dress, what we eat, who we interact with. He wants it ALL as an offering.

Then, we are given this warning - Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. WOW! How different are believers really from non-believers? Aside from tweeting the occasional Bible verse, or the fish symbol on our cars, or spending our Sunday mornings at church and saying a prayer over our food and with our kids at night, how do our normal, every-day lives differ? Go back over the list (What we do, what we say, where we go, how we work, what we read, what we see, what we watch, how we parent, how we worship, how we spend money, how we dress, what we eat, who we interact with.) Does any of it differ from those who don’t claim to have the Holy Spirit living in them? Have we really become so well-adjusted to our culture that we don’t even realize it?  

Recently, we’ve been introduced to a sort of cultural phenomenon – one that has not only been accepted by Christians, it’s been embraced.  When I first heard about it, I started researching – reading blog posts by other Christians – and realized that I had no desire to jump on the phenomenon bandwagon.  It just wasn’t my thing.  But the more I read, and the more people I realized were following, the heavier my heart had become.  So, a few days ago, I felt the need to see for myself if it was really all the Christian bloggers had said it was.  Because, if these bloggers were right, why are so many other Christians involved in this?  So, I went online and read a few excerpts from this so-called “phenomenon” entitled, Fifty Shades of Grey.  Let me just say that I am thankful that I cannot recall anything I read.  The only thing I can recall is that what I read broke my heart.  It broke my heart because of its vulgarity.  It broke my heart for all the teenage girls who are being exposed to this book.  If their Christian mentors, leaders and moms are singing the praises of this series and can’t get enough of it, then it must be okay for them to read, right?  It broke my heart for the marriages that may experience some spicing up now, but will be no better six months from now when the excitement has worn off.  Because the answer to your marriage woes cannot be found in a book about an unhealthy sexual relationship outside of marriage.    No, I did not read the book – the excerpts were enough.  No, it doesn’t matter if it has a good “story”.  It’s defiling, it’s unholy, and it’s impure. 

The true meaning of a Christian is to be “a follower of Christ”.  We follow Christ by obeying His commands, by imitating Him.  And, I’m pretty sure we would not find Jesus engrossed in an erotic novel.  Before you label me a legalist or judgmental, please know that I’m not pointing a finger.  I’m just as guilty.  Recently, I’ve had to repent of shows and movies I’ve watched, books I’ve read, thoughts I’ve thought.  There have been areas in my life where I have become so well-adjusted to the world that I didn’t realize it.  I haven’t applied Philippians 4:8  to my WHOLE life…Is what I’m reading or watching true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy?  If not, then it doesn’t need to fill my mind.

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. - Psalm 24:3,4

 

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. – 2 Timothy 2:21,22

I want to stand in His holy place.  I want to be a vessel useful to the master.  And, I want my Christian sisters to stand alongside me.  But, we have to do our part to keep our hands clean and our hearts pure.  Let’s be diligent about asking Him the areas in our lives that need to be transformed.  Let’s pursue holiness.  Let’s make a pact to only fill our minds with those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  It WILL be worth it when we are able to “ascend to the hill of the Lord”!