Holiness

Holiness, as described by Nancy Leigh DeMoss in her book by the same name, is

"the overflow of a heart

that is deeply grateful to have been redeemed

by God from sin...

it is motivated and enabled by the Holy Spirit"

Overflow of a heart.

You mean that since I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour my heart easily will spill holiness?

Yes and no. It depends on you, actually. Yes, God calls you to do just that--to overflow with His holiness:

but as He who called you is holy,

you also be holy in all your conduct,

because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

...you were not redeemed with corruptible things...

but with the precious blood of Christ

~ 1 Peter 1:15, 16, 18, 19

No, this sloshing over of holiness won't just happen. You, the redeemed, must willingly seek it. You have been forgiven from all of your sins, now act like it. Live like it. Play like it. Love like it. Be like it.

Deeply grateful heart.

You want me to show my gratitude to God by being holy?

Yes, in a simple word, yes.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;

Therefore God,

Your God,

has anointed You

With the oil of gladness

more than Your companions.

~ Hebrews 1:9

Did you realize that holiness is akin to joy, to gladness? Indeed it is true. They are interconnected as if by heavenly tendons. Just as the body's own tendons connect the muscles to the bones, so too your salvation connects your holiness to your joy. His joy.

When someone gives you a most wonderfully delightful gift, what do you do? You smile at the giver, you beam with joy, and you are glad. Everyone sees this and knows you are grateful.

Motivated and enabled.

So now you are saying that I need to get myself a coach to motivate and enable me to continue on in such a manner?

Again with the yes and no answer.

Yes, you need a "coach." But thankfully in the case of Christians, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, boom! we are given a coach for Life. So, no, you don't have to search the want-ads or check the yellow pages, because thankfully The Holy Spirit already lives within us. In fact, He fills us, strengthens us, guides us along this course as we seek holiness.

but He for our profit,

that we may be partakers of His holiness...

yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it.

~ Hebrews 12:10, 11

Just let Him do His Holy job of coaching you. Pay attention to His cues as He trains you. In fact, come over here and read the list He taped to your section of the gymnasium. Look, He taped it right here, at the mirror.

What Holiness means:

1. to be consecrated or set aside for sacred use--as opposed to pagan or common use

2. standing apart from sin and evil

3. characteristic of God

Training objectives:

1. to realize one cannot set their own self aside for such use

2. to stand apart from sin and evil, but to run full throttle ahead as a part of God

3. to be the most like Him as we are able

How we will meet our goals:

1. know, I mean really know deep into your very soul, that YOU ARE GOD'S, you belong to Him!

2. to flee from evil; to strengthen your Holy muscles by heavy the sin far, far away (take off the sin-laden backpack, toss the things that entrap you and keep your focus from Christ)

3. the woman, the man and the serpent will try to divert your heart and soul, but if you look unto the author and finisher of your race as your very reflection, you will be able to build your character in His holy image

Always remember this...

Holiness is described as "the overflow of a heart that is deeply grateful to have been redeemed by God from sin...it is motivated and enabled by the Holy Spirit"

Let us humbly pray:

Father God, as we seek You today, let us recognize that what we are seeking holiness. It is intertwined with You and it is intertwined with who You want us to be. This "holiness" is not an unachievable proposition, rather is what should exude from our very pores as we are eternally grateful for all You have given and done for us. Lord, bless each one today saying this prayer with everything needed to live a life whole and holy in You. In Jesus name, amen.

* I am reading Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I highly recommend this resource. She speaks His heart. Each page is steeped in Truth and sweetened with her ability to teach it.

* What Holiness Means section of note taped to the mirror: points 1-3 taken from the NKJV Life Application Study Bible's concordance/dictionary for the word "holy"