Amy's freshly picked petals of devotion, bringing you hope and encouragement through the Word of God.

Holiness is Still Required

I'm hearing many messages going forth these days on how to make it to heaven. People are teaching the do's and don'ts of being a Christian. They're also giving their opinions of what it takes to experience the Kingdom of God. Well, we need to be taught all of these things, however, I have to question the veracity of some of those teaching. People, read God's word for yourself!

The Word of God is undoubtedly clear on what He demands to be present in the lives of His saints, and holiness is a definite requirement.

Too many people are being deceived, in that, they are being fed a watered down version of the truth, and don't know it, simply because they won't study their Bible.

Father God has commanded that we be separated, and that our lifestyles be distinctively different from the worlds. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). The truth is, no one will enter into heaven without first receiving Jesus Christ as his/her Savior and Lord. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the only way to the one true God. Don't fool yourself, you will not get to Heaven, or really know God living like a sinner.

I can imagine the hurt and anger God must feel when we fail to strive for holiness. So what is holiness? It is defined as the quality, or state of being holy. Holy means consecrated, unprofaned, sanctified, sincere, pure, unadulterated and having divine quality.

Our Lord God said in 1 Peter 1:16, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." Since holiness is true of our Lord, then it should be true of us, His children. Now that we know what the word holy means, we can begin to make practical application of it in our daily walk, right? This move towards holiness is two-fold. It is both the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, and the work of the believer. In order for holiness to be accomplished, we as Christians, must respond to the cleansing process of the Holy Spirit. The transformation from carnality to holiness can be done. Romans 12:2 teaches us that we are not to conform to the worlds way, but we are to be transformed by renewing our minds God's way. Ephesians 4:15-16 admonishes us to continue fellowship with other believers, but most of all we must maintain intimate communication with our Lord Jesus (John 15).

This sanctifying process is described in the New Testament as a quick clean break from sin, and yet it's a life long progression. A process that is sure, as long as we consciously and willingly yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Once saved, every Christian's goal should be a life that is lived in such a way that it brings pleasure to God. We should want to honor and exalt the name of Jesus, thus you will find yourself exemplifying a life of holiness.

Petal for thought: Get rid of the idea that you can get by because God knows you're weak sometimes. This is a very destructive way of thinking! While He is full of grace and mercy, remember God knows what's in your heart and He will judge accordingly.

Amy Blount is a writer and editor for EVE's newsletter. She has a sincere desire for teaching the gospel. "Amy's Garden" is an example of her heartfelt desire to spread the gospel. Amy's goal is for the unbeliever to be filled with life, that is a relationship with Jesus Christ.