05/31/2026
Whether we believe it will be true or not, rest assured that this world will come to an end, and whether we are believers or not... we will all 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 things; we call them theologians. We should be doing those things we read in scripture, and are told to do by God... we should live holy lives, and conduct ourselves in a godly manner, just as Jesus did.
“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 continuous learning. The 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 have been practicing our lessons all along the way. When we learned arithmetic we were able to make change without a calculator at a local store... and so forth. This is how we lead godly lives and come to be Holy too. Holiness isn’t an event, it is a journey, and when we look back on our lives of faith we realize that by seeking and practicing we were becoming holier all the while, and that by taking each step as we followed Jesus, we were walking more godly lives.
The goal is not to simply 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 simply work the problems at the end of each chapter, or to pass the test, no, 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 effort unless we obey them, and practice what those verses tell us? The value is in the righteous person these lessons have taught and led us to become.
So, how do our years of seeking God bring us value? They do so by making us Holier, one step at a time, and by teaching 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 studying 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, let’s also enjoy our time of devotional reading, and spend time in prayer, and let’s not leave those things we have read behind us when we go out into the world. We should take the inspiration, and those things we have read, and use them in our daily lives. If we wait until we have perfected ourselves we will never lead a truly Christian life, and holiness will never grow in us. Being Christlike and godly takes effort, and constant practice...
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
Our desire should be to achieve perfect holiness because the Lord is Holy, and Jesus is holy. And the only way we can accomplish this perfectly is by practicing the holy things we are taught in God’s Word and the Gospel of Jesus… every day. Be like God; be like Jesus; be holier with each step along the way as we perfect ourselves in their image. Then on the day when we meet God face to face He will recognize us as His children… 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 and your Son Jesus. Make me perfect 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. By doing so, I am also striving to 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. Make me perfect in holiness Father, make me perfect in godliness Lord, that I might be eternally pleasing to you, and walk as Jesus walks, holy before you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, and you are the height of all my desire, and my deepest longing is to be as Jesus is, by being obedient to your Word and your will… always.
Amen!
Rich Forbes