LIVING A HOLY LIFE BY GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13, 2021.

SUBJECT: LIVING A HOLY LIFE BY GRACE! 

Memory verse: "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct," (First Peter I vs 15.) 

READ: Leviticus 11 vs 44 - 45; First Peter 1 vs 13 - 16:

Leviticus 11:44: For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 

11::45: For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

First Peter 1:13: Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1:14: As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

1:15: But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1:16: because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

INTIMATION:

What is holiness? Holiness means being devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. It is a separation that should result in "conduct befitting those so separated." One must bind up all unholy thought and behavior in order to run the Christian race. Christians must discipline their lives and lay aside sin. They must exercise self-restraint, giving great thought to what he will do carefully and sensibly. Holiness is the characteristics or nature of God especially the third person of the "Trinity."  God wants His people to be holy (set apart, different, unique), just as He is holy. God knows we have only two options: to be separate and holy, or to compromise with the world’s wickedness, even as we rub shoulders with unbelievers every day. 

Grace has been defined as undeserved (unmerited) favor. That is one aspect of grace, probably the one that we are most accustomed to hearing about, and it is wonderful. But we have also seen that grace is much more than that. Grace is power—the power of the Holy Spirit—in our lives that helps us overcome our own evil tendencies. It is the power of God available to meet our needs without cost to us. There is nothing more powerful than grace, and it is received by believing rather than through human effort.

It is no easy task to be holy in an unholy world, but God doesn’t ask us to accomplish this on our own. He has provided help. Through the death of His Son, He will “present us holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1 vs 22). With Christ we can live in the world without having to be of the world. In accordance with part of the Scripture we read today in First Peter, we are to be motivated by what Christ had wrought for us in redemption, and with His imminent return, we should be mentally alert, disciplined, and focused our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

The apostle Paul counsels us in Romans 12 vs 2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but he transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.” The good, acceptable and perfect Will of God is that we shall be holy. He wants us to be holy in everything we do. All parts of our lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God’s standard. 

After people commit their lives to Christ, they sometimes still feel a pull back to their old ways. We’re to be set apart and different by the renewing of our mind, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. It is God’s qualities in our lives that make us different. Our focus and priorities must be His. This is in direct contrast to our old ways. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit (our Helper) to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. 

But while God wants us to be holy, He realizes our weakness and inability. He knows that without help we can never be what He desires for us to be or do what He wants us to do. That is why He has sent His Spirit (the Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby, Empowerer, and Encourager) to help us to fulfill His design and purpose for us. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and the Holy Spirit has been sent to prepare us for that place. That is not a Scripture, but it is scriptural; that is a truth based on the Word of God. Rely on God’s power to free you from sin’s grip. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You ever merciful and faithful God for the gift of Holy Spirit, my Helper. I hand over daily my thoughts, words, and actions to my Helper, that I may, by His leading, live according to Your precept, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!