Called to be Holy

1 Corinthians 1:2 says:
"I am writing to God's church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be His own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as He did for all people everywhere who call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." NLT

Living a holy life is a recurrent theme in the New Testament. We are God's own holy people. The word holy means: "set apart, sanctified, consecrated. Chaste, pure. Its fundamental ideas are separation, consecration, devotion to God,, and sharing in God's purity and abstaining from earths defilement." (1)

Other verses in the NT such as Romans 15:16 "I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit." These are just 2 verses, there are many more. You can find them in the Bible by looking up the word holy.

The way God made us holy is by means of Christ Jesus, our Savior. And Him alone.

In the Old Testament, the way to be holy was by keeping the whole law and all it entailed. (Although still by faith, as Abraham's life testified of)

Today we are made holy by believing in Jesus Christ, becoming new creatures, (born again) and then walking in the Spirit by faith. (God graciously pours out His Spirit in each of our hearts).

Since Jesus kept the whole law perfectly, when He died for us, He took the punishment that we deserved. We deserve to die for our sins, but He died instead. God accepted His offering for our sins. By God accepting Jesus as the perfect Lamb who was sinless, when we believe in Him, God accepts us because we are in Christ. So, because of Jesus, we are dead to sin and alive to walk in a holy manner. Its like when the Isralites had to put the blood of the perfect lamb on the door post of their homes, so they would be saved. I like to think of it as believing in Jesus puts His blood in my heart. God sees Him, not me. God sees the blood, the perfect sacrifice.

We, as Christians, need to look at ourselves as who the Bible says we are. It says "He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as He did for all people everywhere who call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours."

If you believe in and called upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, if you have confessed your sins, if Christ Jesus has purified you and made you dead to sin, if you rose to a new life with Christ, then you are a holy child of Gods. You are a born again, spirit filled person. You are one of God's holy children.

This is such a freeing message. When I started thinking of myself this way, I was totally set free.

This doesn't mean that I have not "sinned" and fallen at times. Being born again and made holy by Jesus Christ is only the beginning. The start of a new life. A life of, as Ephesians calls it, "putting off the old and putting on the new". It is a process, I am always putting off Joni and her worldy ways, and putting on Jesus Christ and His holiness by His power that is at work in me. This takes a life time for sure. But I am no longer under condemnation.

Romans 8:1 says "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death"

To some of you this may be old news, but there are many "Christians" who are always beating themselves up and falling into the sin of unbelif in God's Word. They are stuck thinking that they are never going to measure up. We do not need to measure up. We need to grow in our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. John 17:3 says that this is eternal life.

Knowing that you have been made holy, and that the power of sin that leads to death no longer has a hold on you, is amazing! Because of this sin is a choice now. You are no longer under the "pull" of the devil. This is something all of us need to remember on a daily basis.


(1) Zodhiates

More later.

How is Your Relationship with God?

Romans 5:10-11 says :
"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son, while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."

My question to you is how is your relationship with God? Are you His friend or foe?? It amazes me, and probably will amaze me the rest of my life, that while I was a sinner Jesus Christ died for me and He took my punishment. I deserved to die for all my sins. I was not raised in a Christian home and I have a background that isn't so great. But Jesus loves me!!! Jesus cleansed me!!! ... and then He gave me a new life in Him. I truly stand amazed!
Who would do such a thing? If I constantly spit in your face, would you die for me?

Now because He lives, the above verse says, I am saved and restored to a relationship with God the Father. Now I can rejoice in this. I am in a growing relationship with God and His Son Jesus. Being born again is just the first step and I fear that many people do not understand that the relationship between us and God needs to grow and grow and grow. I really think that many are suffering (still caught in sin and sickness etc.) needlessly because they stopped at being born again stage.

The way to have a relationship with someone is to spend time with them. This way you get to know what they are like. You begin to trust them and have faith that they will be your freind and they will be there for you. You go out to eat together, and continue to develop the relationship. You do things for each other. A relationship cannot be one sided.

The same is true for God. Because He gave us His Word, the Bible, we can get to know Him.
Because He left us with the Holy Spirit in our hearts so that we can live a life that pleases Him and glorifies Him. we have no excuse not to grow in a relationship with Him.

I know, because His Word says it, that God will never leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)
I know that God has a great love for me, by sending Jesus Christ to die for me while I was still a sinner. (Romans 5:8)
I know that God has given me everything I need for living a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3)
I know that if I sin Jesus is my advocat and forgives me, when I come to Him in sorrow and repent (1 John 2:1)

Knowing all the above builds my confidence in my relationship with God and Jesus. This is eternal life, it is haveing a relationship with God and His Son Jesus. (John 17:3)

So today I am rejoicing in God!!!!!!. Rejoicing in my wonderful new and growing relationship with Him!!!! And I say this in a very humble tone.

The more I get to know who God is and His many traits, the more confidence it builds in my heart and I know that I boldly and confidently go to God in any and all circumstances that life brings. (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19)

My friends, I encourage you to go beyond just being "born again". Be Spirit filled!!

I have everything needed!!

A verse in 2 Peter 1:3-4 has captured me! I say captured because the other day as I was listening to a friend of mine talk about a new mattress she had just bought, she said that this mattress has captured her! She is so cozy in her bed now that she just wants to stay there in the morning and not get up. She wants to linger in the moment, and stay in bed in the comfort of her new mattress. While she was telling me this, I was thinking about God's Word and How it has captured me. I too, just want to linger and stay in it, drinking in the comfort and peace of it. Of late it has been this particular verse in 2 Peter:


"By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires."

Just think, I have everything I need for living a godly life. By coming to know God and Jesus. He has called me to Him, by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. He has given me great and precious promises that enable me to share in His divine nature and escape the world's corruption.

This verse is a great and precious promise to my heart. It has changed my prayer life. I no longer pray, prayers that ask God for more love, or joy, or peace, or etc. I now thank God that He has everything I need to live a life that is godly, pleasing and glorifying to Him.

Thank you Lord, that you have given me love, joy, peace, courage, forgiveness, gentleness, and a whole new life. Thank you that you have given me the ability to walk by your Spirit. Now I ask that I would, according to your power, in me, incorporate love, joy, etc. into my world, into this physical realm. I do it by your power that enables me. All for your glory!

As I come to know Him, through His Word, God wants me to grow more and more in grace and peace. What a great and precious promise. (2 Peter 1:2)

The more I get to know God, the more confidence I have in Him, and His great and precious promises. He loves me so much. And the less confidence I have in myself. I need God and His Word.