Are you living holy?

Isn’t it amazing to know that the Creator God of the universe loves you and i and has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins, delivered from all guilt and shame and cleansed of all unrighteousness?! 

Various things that I have said to other people have been harsh, unkind, disingenuous, deceitful, prideful and more. And these things have caused pain. Some attitudes that I have had have been self-centered, angry, self-righteous, self-justifying, proud and more. These attitudes have hurt people and communicated messages of untruth. Certain actions and reactions that I have lived out have cheated others, treated people like objects, taken from others and placed myself first and temporal things about eternal things. These unholy words, attitudes, and actions have caused pain, promoted untruth, and resulted in consequences for myself and many others.

But here is the good news! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was perfect in every way and who never sinned, paid the price for me to be forgiven of these things. Jesus’ death and resurrection have made it possible for me to be delivered from the rightful judgments I deserve and from the consequences I have brought on myself and others as a result of my sin. Praise be to God that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient to set me free from my past, my sin, and my deserved judgment!

However, I want to take this one step further. Since we know that Jesus Christ Himself came and died in our place in order that He might make a way for us to be delivered from our past and the various strongholds and broken things in our lives, why do we keep on living the same as before?

If Christians have been forgiven for speaking unkind words, why would we continue to speak unkind words?

If Christians have had to seek the Lord to deliver them from their selfish behaviors, why would we continue to live selfishly and as if the people around us are merely obstacles?

If Christians have asked the Lord to forgive them from their worshiping and serving false gods (such as material possessions, success, and fame) why would we keep running after the same stuff that got us into trouble in the first place?!

The question at this point might be asked: “Were we really sorry in the first place for our sins, or did we only not want to have any consequences for our behaviors?”

And so here is the point of this article: “Are you living holy?”

I know that no one is holy except God alone, however by the death and resurrection of Jesus we are now able to be forgiven of our sins and cleansed of unrighteousness and then receive the Holy Spirit to live in us. In other words, our natural self is not holy, but the Spirit of Jesus who is perfectly good and holy will live in the hearts of those who believe so that by Jesus’ Spirit at work in us we can supernaturally live His holy life or rather He can live His holy life through us.

• If you have been forgiven and cleansed, are you speaking to others like Jesus would?
• If you have been forgiven and cleansed, are you exhibiting an attitude like Jesus does?
• If you have been forgiven and cleansed, are you acting/reacting to people/circumstances as Jesus did?
  

And if not, why not?

Don’t say it’s not possible. Jesus and the entire Bible cover to cover tells a different story. 

If we aren’t living holy (living like Jesus) what exactly are we doing that Jesus wouldn’t do? And what exactly aren’t we doing that Jesus did? And when are we going to start doing it?

The world can be changed if these see the holiness of God through you and me and therefore come to the Lord in order that He can do the same thing in them.

The world (and even other believers) can become bitter and hardened and distant and further rebel against God is they see us continuing to sin and act selfishly all the while we claim to be disciples of Jesus or “Little Christs” (literal meaning of ‘Christian’)

Are you living holy? If not, I beg of you, let Jesus’ perfect Holy Spirit begin living out His holiness in your words, attitudes and actions. It will bring glory to God and may possibly result in other people drawing near to God because of the holiness they see in you!