I am thanking God today for this simple fact:
He has made known His will for us.
The will of God has been revealed in the Word of God:
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
“Sanctification” means “holiness.” And what is holiness? A life separated and set apart from sin unto God. A holy life is characterized by an increasing measure of godliness, obedience, and Christlikeness. Other synonyms include moral purity and righteous living.
Make no mistake, “God expects every Christian to live a holy life” (Gerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness). He commands that we “be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Yes, sanctification is the divine mandate for all God’s people.
The problem, of course, is that while striving for holiness, we continue to sin. This is why the Christian life can be harder (yet better) than the non-Christian life. We are fighting a never-ending battle against our flesh.
This is why I freely confess that “I am a serial sinner.”
(For more on that, check out this blog post):
I also thank God today for another profound truth: in the believer’s lifelong struggle against sin, we have hope! An obedient and holy life is within our reach because God has provided a solution to our sin problem, and that solution is found in the power of His Word.
Would God tell us to be holy and not supply the means to joyfully fulfill this command? I think not.
The key that unlocks the door to holy living is the holy Bible.
Paul said so in 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Note the indispensable role of Scripture in the quest for both salvation and righteousness:
“You have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
What Paul told this young pastor applies to every believer. We have the resources needed to overcome our sins and live a life pleasing to God. Through knowledge of the Scriptures, we can live a life of godliness and obedience. We will not attain perfection this side of heaven, but by the grace and power of God, increasing Christlikeness can be the direction of our lives.
I find much comfort in this! How about you?
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