Today's reading from Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" was about holiness. The verse is "You shall be holy; for I am Holy." 1 Peter 1:16 (RV)
Great verse; love it! But then Chambers expounds on it*........
"Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness.
The one thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs a man must be rightly related to God.
God is not an eternal blessing machine (He, isn't??); He did not come to save men out of pity: He came to save men because He had created them to be holy. The Atonement means that God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without a shadow between, through the Death of Jesus Christ. (Amen!)
(Here comes the hard (ugh) part):
Holiness means unsullied walking with the feet, unsullied talking with the tongue, unsullied thinking with the mind - every detail of the life under the scrutiny of God."
Wow. That is a tall order. Ugh. I don't even have anything to add to that. It seems a bit overwhelming and that one could easily become legalistic trying to be holy. But it is important for us to strive towards holiness and remember God's grace in the process. I like Chambers' definition of holiness but I need help in processing how to live it out without feeling condemned every time I mess up. Any suggestions?
*I did not include the entire text of this passage from "My Utmost for His Highest."
17 hours ago