The Mystery of Christ in Us, the Hope of Glory
Paul describes the mystery of Christ as being Christ in us. We are the temple he lives in. And that magnifies the call for personal holiness.
Holiness
Perfecting Holiness – 2 Corinthians 7:1
I have the promise that God is my Father and I am his child. Because of that, Paul urges me to actively work toward holiness out of reverence for God. I should remove from my life anything that dishonors God, perfecting holiness.
Honor God With Your Body – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Would I act any different in my daily life if Jesus were with me in person? As a believer, the Holy Spirit is in me wherever I go and whatever I say. If I would not do something with Jesus, I should not do it with his Spirit. Honor God with your body.
Cutting Off Your Hand – Matthew 18:8
What is it in your life that causes you to sin? Jesus warns us to remove those things from our lives. Don’t allow the pleasures of this world to cause you eternal loss.
The Mouth Reflects the Heart – Matthew 15:18
My outward words and actions are merely a reflection of what is on the inside. If I want to be clean outside, I will need to be holy in the inner man.
When Christ Appears, We Shall Be Like Him – 1 John 3:2
While we do not know what heaven holds for us, we have the promise of being like Christ. And with that hope, we should strive for holiness.
Waging War on Desire – 1 Peter 2:11
In Ephesians 6:10-17 Paul talks about the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in, urging us to put on the armor God has provided. In this passage Peter looks at one of the primary weapons of our adversary; our own sinful desires. In my own experience there is no bigger weapon in the enemies arsenal than my own desires.
A Call to Holiness – 1 Peter 1:15
When we are called to be holy, it is a call to be set apart for God’s use; not to be like everyone else around us. Being holy doesn’t mean we are perfect, it means we are dedicated for God’s use; for him to use as he sees fit. And that is the challenge for us. We want to fit in with the world, we don’t generally like being different. But we are different. So don’t be afraid to act that way.
Thyatira: The Tolerant Church – Revelation 2:18-29
In the second and third chapters of Revelation are letters from Jesus to seven of the first century churches in what is today Turkey. While I believe these letters were addressed to real churches of that day, I also believe they have great application to our churches today. The fourth of these was to the church of Thyatira. “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and …
What Does God Require? – Micah 6:8
What does God expect of me as a believer? It is common, and tempting, to believe that God ‘s expectations for me are to live a life as free as possible from sin; avoiding doing any of the things that fall on your particular list of sins. The focus too often times seems to be on what we don’t do. But should it be? Now I will not dispute that as a believer, I should avoid doing things that will bring discredit to the name of Christ, that cause harm to others, or that are self centered. But I have …