The Key to Holiness

[Ncdataman]

The Key to Holiness

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?"
— Romans 6:1–2



Sadly, there are many believers today who live with the misconception that they must do something to earn God's approval.

When they have had a good week and have been reading their Bibles or doing certain good deeds for the Lord, they feel that God will be pleased. But when they have had a hard week, when they have fallen, when they have sinned, they think God is not pleased with them.

Sometimes they believe they shouldn't even go to church or read the Bible. "Why bother?" they think. "God is not pleased with me. I don't have His favor. It would be hypocritical for me to do that."

All the while, they don't realize they have God's unconditional favor and love regardless of what they do. But that is not a license to sin. It is an incentive to respond to Him in love.

If, as believers, we can truly get hold of what this means, if we can understand that it is not a license to live as we please, then it should be an incentive for us to serve the Lord, love Him, and show gratitude toward the One who loves us unconditionally, knowing us for what we are. An understanding of this truth can revolutionize our lives.

In some people's estimation, holy living—which is keeping rules and regulations—will bring salvation. But holy living—which we are not capable of, to start with—will not bring salvation. However, salvation will produce holy living. If you are truly saved, it will result in changes in your lifestyle.

reprinted from Harvest

 

[beam]

I don't think I KNOW this is a very important topic, because it is something we can get entangled in SO quickly and unknowingly.

Many a time I have had to be quiet and meditate as to 'why i am felling that God is displeased with me and the conclusion I come to is that it is Me who is not happy with the way I have done something (or not done something) and therefore think i have failed, or unworthy or just simply not capable of doing this relationship thing with God.

But thank God for the scriptures, the Holy Spirit brings them to the forefront of the mind and heart, "it is not by works that i have been saved, it is through faith and faith ALONE in the WORKS that Jesus has done"

The only reason I am righteouss is because the Word says so "I am the righteoussness of God IN CHRIST JESUS, and the only two choices i have is to believe or not to believe. I am learning to choose to believe but the hard part about this is i always expect the 'feelings and emotions' to line up with my choices, like pronto, which of course they don't. However i have also witnessed that EVENTUALLY they do...enter PATIENCE!!

Many a time i feel condemnation because i respond in the flesh instead of in the Spirit and feel like giving up, but then the Holy Spirit asks me questions like, "Is it really God who is condemning you?" I know the truthful answer to that is a resounding 'NO', "so then daughter where is it coming from?'" obviously satan, the enemy, he is busy with an attack.and the next step is to get the weapon (scripture) out that is BEFITTING the onslaught and accurately cut the enemy down, which would be "devil i see you, i recognise you and IT IS WRITTEN there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus - I am a saint, I am born of God, I have the mind of Christ, etc etc

But i also must admit there are times i just feel weary, and don't feel like doing this battle all the time, i want to enter God's rest. So i guess that's another journey i'll be making soon. God is currently taking me through a journey of RELAXING and not to make mountains out of molehills.

May the Word of God be rooted and established in our inner man.

Love in Jesus name
beam

 

[Trishann]

Holiness starts with the fear of God. I don't mean afraid of Him, but reverance him.

We condemn ourselves because of the things we allow to happen but God convicts us so that we will turn from it.

Your sister in Christ, Trish

 

[jiggyfly]

very good post NC.

Sadly, there are many believers today who live with the misconception that they must do something to earn God's approval.

I remember when my girlfriend ( now Mrs. Jiggyfly) took me to meet her grandparents. They welcomed and accepted me right away, not because of who I was but because of who I was with. It is the same with our heavenly Father, we are welcomed and accepted only because we are with His Son Jesus. Father says "any friend of Jesus is a friend of mine".

John 15:10-17
10 When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. 13 And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. 14 You are my friends if you obey me. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 I command you to love each other.

The English word religion comes from the Latin word religio and is thought to come from ligare which means to bind and is compound, re which means again + ligare which means to bind thus to bind again or to obligate. In light of this, it seems it can convey both a positive and a negative thought. Concerning the gospel of Christ we are being reconnected to Father through Christ's sacrifice, thus the act of re-binding us to Him. Or concerning what the christian religion has come to mean through traditions passed down, binding us again to the law and self wrought righteousness.