Be Holy as I Am Holy

rather just as the one calling you is holy, also become you, come into existence in all your conduct, in as much as it is written 'be holy because I am holy' and if you call upon him as Father... (1 Peter 1:15-17)

Do you call upon God as your heavenly Father? Has called you? To those He predestined, he also called and those he calls he justifies and those he justified glorifies (Roman 8:30). The predestining Paul mentions early "those he foreknew also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). And those he chose he predestined for adoption as his own through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5) And those he chose in Christ he chose "before creation of the world to be holy, blameless in his presence, in love" (Ephesians 1:4). If you are called you are chosen and you predestined by the Spirit for adoption, and you are chosen for the purpose of being holy, blameless before him, in love.

just a she chose us in him before he created the world to e holy and blameless in his presence in love (Ephesians 1:5)

How can I be blameless before him and in his presence and be loved by a holy God? Jesus provided the means, and there are three that testify and are in agreement with one another; the Spirit, blood, and water. (1 John 5:8) The Spirit is one of adoption that testifies we are children of God. The blood testifies that we have been forgiven and we have peace before God. These are usually the only two we hear about in the church. And it is true because we are His children and been justified by the blood of Jesus and received the gift of righteousness through faith we can boldly and with confidence approach our heavenly Father. But as it is written...

'be holy because I am holy' and if you call upon him as Father... (1 Peter 1:15-17)

So there are there that are in agreement with one another so we can't say we have been adopted, born of the Spirit and entered the kingdom of God, forgiven our sin by the blood of Jesus and ignore the third testimony. The third testimony is that of water. The baptism that now saves us not like the washing of dirt from the body but of a good conscious toward God (1 Peter 3:21). I can not as a child of God have a good conscious toward God and live in sin. It would be as Paul writes delighting inwardly in the laws of God but dong the things I hate, this is a wretched state.

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:17 )

The Spirit testifies of this state, groaning for our liberty as children of God, when we will put on the incorruptible, a body that is redeemed and gloried. The issue is sin in the body. The principles exist that nothing good dwells in our flesh, but sin and evil is near. As the scriptures speak we must overcome sin in the flesh. It is a growth process of child, young person to mature adulthood were we bear fruit. Therefore God calls us to holiness. Holiness is overcoming the power of sin in the flesh, it is reckoning sin dead in the body that has died and been crucified with Christ. Through the power of the Spirit the deeds of the flesh are put to death. This is holiness. Thus the testimony of water that is one with the testimony of Spirit and blood, is the purification of the body of sin.

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)

If I call upon God as my Father then I am to be holy as He is holy. This is why he chose me and called me, to be holy before him. God did not call me to first go to seminary school, become a missionary or a pastor, to serve, give, and do good works, no, this puts the cart before the horse. He chose me and brought me into his kingdom and calls me to holiness. This is why Paul writes we have a reasonable service to present the body a living sacrifice unto holiness, this is the sacrifice that pleases God. Then will the fruit of maturity be reflected outwardly in your conduct.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Pure religion is helping orphans and widows and being unstained from the world so if I am stained by the world I do not have "pure" religion. God is a God of Light, not darkness, thus we must walk in the Light to have fellowship with him and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. If God has chosen me and called me I have this hope in Him, thus I purify myself as he is pure. This is not perfectionism nor legalism, this is to come into existence partakers of His divine nature, to be conformed to His image, and to be transformed. On the day of Christ will I have been steadfast in my calling. One day I will stand before my Father, will I be holy like He is? Our heavenly Father says, "be holy as I am holy." Again, "just as the one calling you is holy, also become you, come into existence in all your conduct."

The Crucible

" The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies ." 1 He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. The definition of zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. It is this time, to arouse zeal, shout, raise a war cry! As Paul writes, " In diligence not lagging in spirit being fervent serving the Lord ." 2 Our energy comes in the bond of brotherhood, formed in the crucible of combat. A crucible is place of severe test or trial, it is derived from Latin crucibulum ("night-lamp, metallurgic melting-pot"), and is a derivative of crux ("cross"). 3 The Bible speaks of the crucible of the cross for Jesus and for those who follow Him. The purpose of a soldier is two-fold; to accomplish the mission and to care for one another, as commanded. Each soldier has a role to play on a team. Without knowin...

One Grace

" moreover, One, to each of us has been given Grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ ." 1 Grace is a founding principle of Christianity. It is by Grace we grow into the fullness of Christ through faith; " to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. " 2 Without Grace we will never reach this fullness. The weakness in the Law was it attempted to do it in the flesh, and people failed over and over, so God in His infinite wisdom, unveiled this mystery, through faith in Christ we have grace to boldly approach His throne of Grace, to receive grace and mercy as needed! This gift of Grace is properly understood by examining this verse in three parts; moreover, One Grace, to each of us has been given, according to the measure of the gift of Christ . First, we understand, One grace, it is easy to miss the One, and this verse is translated in different ways, I believe it says One Grace and i...

Truth All Around You

Stand then girding your loins in truth and putting on the breastplate of righteousness. * How can a soldier stand in battle if he has not been prepared, trained? How can a house stand if it has been built on sand? How can we stand against spiritual forces if we have not been prepared? Our battle is not against flesh and blood so in regards to such, what good is armor to a child or how can one stained with dirty clothes stand with a defiled conscious? To stand one must be prepared, be his workmanship, someone prepared beforehand to do battle. For this purpose you begin girding your loins in truth, putting on truth, wrapping truth all around you. ... girding your loins in truth... * The word girding is perizōnnymi (from peri "about, around" and zōnnymi "put on") meaning around about put on. Often gird your loins with truth is translated as putting on a belt. Surely we can say truth holds on the garments and confidence in truth is important in standing. I like th...

Those He Calls He Equips

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen . Hebrews 13:20-21 When God calls us he equips us, the God of Peace, the one who brought us from the dead by the blood of the Eternal Covenant, will equip you so to do his will. So in this concept of being equipped, we see the calling being irrevocable. "For it is God who works in you to Will and to act on behalf of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13 God called you, he's working in you equipping you to work on behalf of his good pleasure. "So that the man of God may be complete fully equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:17 . In Hebrews 12 we read God disciplines those he loves, so that we share in his holy character, as the scriptures...

Word Of Life

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. " 1 Jesus is the Word, He was in the beginning with God. 2 All things were made through Him. He is the Word and Light of men, the way, the path, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 4 Thus we can say as the Psalmist, Jesus, the Word, is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. 5 "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." 6 Concerning the Word of Life, " the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life ," Proclaimed, that our joy may be complete, a glory like that in the beginning, fellowship with the Father, with one another, and with his Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Life. "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot...

Hypocrisy and Self-righteousness

“ Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you ” Matthew 7:1–2 In Mathew 7 Jesus is speaking out against hypocrisy, he coins the term, it is exposed as a very serious sin. Because of their hypocrisy these religious leaders were leading his people astray. Today it is the same, it is a top reason why people do not attend a church. Of course we blame the sinner and hear cute little sayings like, come join us you will fit right in... which makes light of the situation. On a more serious note, Jesus gives seven woes to the Pharisees, he even warns them of hell fire and damnation, for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Hypocrisy is basically pretending to be something you are not, it is not to be confused with our imperfection. Our righteousness is found in Christ alone, not in self. Hypocrisy and self righteousness is usually seen by others when we in our own righteousn...

Formed Into The Same Image

because those he foreknew also he predestined, to form to the image of His Son, to the extent He exists the firstborn of many brethren . * The word for form in this verse is σύμμορφος ( symmorphos ) from sym "same, with, or together" and morphos "form or shape." We are being formed, shaped into the same image as Christ. This word has the same root word morphos as in transformed, μεταμορφόω ( metamorphos ) from meta "among, with, after" and morphos "form or shape." Into the same form as Christ we are predestined. Adam was a living soul, but Christ was a life giving Spirit. Adam was formed in the image of God but that image was corrupted. In Christ we are formed a new, so that image is being restored. To be a Christian is more than just doing good works, more than just going to heaven, we are called to be formed into an image after Christ, Christ like. who will transfigure our lowly bodies into the same form as his glorious body, according t...

Feed On Me

"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me." 1 This "living" Jesus speaks of is eternal or everlasting Life but what does this mean? Is this life an after life in heaven as traditionally taught or something we begin to experience here on earth? We read that Life is in knowing, a personal experience, " this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent ." 2 We receive the Spirit of life when we first believed, but the true disciple of Christ is known by abiding, these have learned that Life is in eating the bread of Life and drinking living water. Life is in Christ, all else has become as rubbish but to know Christ, and the Life he gives, "so also the one who feeds on Me will live." "So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. and you will know the truth, ...

Kiss the Son

Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel, together against Yahweh and against his anointed. Break apart their bands and cast away their cords. He who sits in the heavens laughs, Yahweh scoffs. Then shall he speak unto them with anger, fury, and dismay. I established my King upon Zion, My Holy Hill. I will declare the decree of Yahweh who said, you are my son, you I have this day begotten. Ask concerning, I will establish nations your inheritance Your possession the uttermost parts of the earth. You shall afflict them with a staff of iron on a potter's vessel dashed to pieces. Now, O, kings be wise, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, because brutish is his wrath. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. 1

Love Fulfilled Ministry

Search This Blog