July 21, 2009 "Be holy as God is Holy"

TRIUMPHANT VICTORIOUS REMINDERS
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Written by: Teresa Criswell


"Obey God because you are His children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God - who chose you to be His children - is holy. For He Himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy."
~ I Peter 1:14-16 ~

Two nights ago, I was talking to a friend on the phone. She was deeply frustrated with herself and those of us who call ourselves Christians or Christ followers. She has been a Christ follower now for almost two years.

I learned in our conversation that she had lived in a Buddhist monastary for about 5 years. She told me that looking back she knows that Jesus is the only way and by His Holy Spirit is what leads us into all Truth and reveals Truth which is Jesus Christ. She also said when she was in the new age movement and Buddhism she knows now that she was being led by other spirits. She was being led by the 'familiar spirits' not the Holy Spirit.

She said, "Teresa, I was so self-disciplined when I was 'seeking' God through the new age 'movement' and Buddhism. I was so careful about what came out of my mouth. Gossip and using gossip as a glorified way to be 'concerned' to pray for someone was not what we did." She said, "I was so careful what I put in my body to eat, it was all about the mind, body and soul."

She continued, "Even though I thought I was walking in truth, I wasn't, because Jesus Christ was not who I had received as my Savior." "Even in the enlightenment it was based on my own 'self-discipline' and legalistic way of doing things. Now that I walk with Truth which is Jesus, I have for some reason gotten away from being careful what I speak. I have gotten away from how careful I treat my body and what I put into it. I have gotten away from the balance of mind, body and soul. I have fallen into this trap of, "Well, I'm a Christian, I'm not perfect just forgiven, which seems to give us this 'right' to sin, which is such a lie of complacency."

This morning I was reminded of I Peter 1 as I thought about our conversation from the other night. Wow! Those things that were the counterfeit without Christ, were the principles of what the Lord wants us to walk in with His grace and strength.

It was a reminder of His grace that many times we use as the excuse to sin, versus what the grace of God is truly about. His grace is about rising us above the sin and 'dying' to self; not giving into 'self' and selfish desires which leads to freedom from those bondages.

Can you imagine if we allowed the Lord to help us with our mind, body and soul? His holiness would come upon us in ways that we could never imagine. I would have to believe that when those three (the mind, body and soul) are aligned as they should be, we are able to be holy as He is holy.

What a reminder today that being Holy as He is Holy, is a command. His command is not so we can do it on our own strength, for then we would get the glory and no man shall glory in His presence (I Corinthians 1:29). His command to be holy is so that we rely in all our ways on Him and Him alone.

I pray you are encouraged through this reminder as I was. It's a hard one to swallow, but in the end it will be worth it.

Comments

  1. Thank you for this 'reminder'. It is not only that but the Truth. The Holy Spirit is surely in this place as you wrote and I read. I, too, spent years searching and wandering into and eventually out of the new age movement. I understand your friend's realization of the strict discipline of caring for our body, mind and soul that these ways teach that I followed as your friend did as well.
    Now that we walk with the LORD, that "complacency" makes me think I am failing at being a Christian, yet God truly has called us to follow Him, to take up our cross daily and to die to self. This is a moment-by-moment task and one we would never regret if only we would be mindful of His call upon our lives, His commands for us to 'hear' and 'see' through our hearts. Oh, I am pondering on your site but your thoughts have certainly got me thinking, Teresa.
    May God continue to use you as a light. ~ linda

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