05/31/2018
Whether you are a believer or not, rest assured that this world will come to an end, and for those of faith... you will meet God face to face. So how do we prepare ourselves for this meeting? Should we be perfect in our recitation of scripture, or study diligently the nuances of faith? No, any scholar can do such; we should be doing those things we read, and are told by God... we should live holy lives, and conduct ourselves in a godly manner.
“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,”
2 Peter 3:11 ESV
Peter wrote extensively about how we should prepare ourselves to meet God, but if I had to boil all his words down into a concise statement, it couldn’t be done any better than to say: “live lives of holiness and godliness.”
When we entered school as 5 year old children, we were naive, and knew very little, but as the years went by we learned more complex things and ideas until finally we were finished with our formal education... but not with learning. When our years of school ended, it was only the beginning of a lifetime of learning. The ultimate goal wasn’t to complete our formal training... the goal of school was to teach us how to apply those things we had learned to life, and to continue building upon them. Hopefully we had been practicing our lessons all along the way. When we learned arithmetic we were able to make change at a local store... and so forth. This is how we lead godly lives and come to be Holy. Holiness isn’t an event, it is a journey, and when we look back we realize that by seeking and practicing we were becoming holier all the while, and that by taking each step, we were walking more godly lives.
The goal is not to know who God is, but to be like Him. This is just like learning mathematics in school; we didn’t learn it so that we could work the problems at the end of each chapter, or to pass the test, we learned it so that we could apply those skills to life. Likewise, in reading scripture we might learn to recite verses, and that is all fine and dandy, but what use is that unless we obey, and practice it? The value is in the person these lessons have lead us to become.
So how do our years of seeking God bring us value? They make us Holier a step at a time, and teach us to lead more godly lives with each passing day. In this way, we are building upon our previous lessons as we walk, and moving closer to God with each step. We shouldn’t simply be approaching holiness, and godliness, but walking more fully in it; becoming more pure of heart.
“"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8 ESV
So today as we study the Bible, enjoy a time with devotional reading, and spend time in prayer, let’s not leave those things behind us when we go into the world. Take the inspiration, and those things we have read, and use them in our day. If we wait until we have perfected ourselves we will never lead a truly godly life, and holiness will never grow in us. Being godly takes effort, and practice...
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
Our desire is to achieve perfect holiness because the LORD is holy, and Jesus is holy, and the only way we can accomplish this to perfection is by practicing the holy things we are taught each day. Be like God; be like Jesus; be holier with each step as we perfect ourselves in their image, and then on the day we meet face to face we will recognize one another as family.
“but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."”
1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for leading me towards the perfection of holiness, and godliness in my life. Thank you for each lesson, each revelation of your will that guides me along the way to becoming more like you. Perfect me Holy Father, and instruct me like a child as I learn to apply your lessons in my life. I look at your Son Jesus, and long to be like Him. I see His life of prayer and practice it, I hear his beatitudes and strive to apply them in my life. In so doing, I become more like Him, and less like the man I once was. I know Merciful Father that the day is drawing near when I will meet you face to face, and on that day it is my greatest longing that you recognize me, and are pleased with the holiness and godliness, that my lifetime of faith in you has wrought. Great are you my God, and wonderful is the life journey you have been leading me on. Perfect me in holiness Father, perfect me in godliness LORD, that I might be pleasing to you for eternity, and walk as Jesus walks before you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, and the height of all my desire is to be as you are.
Rich Forbes