Day 6 "Are you Holy? Stop Struggling and Seeking- In Christ, You Already Are!"

Imagine someone coming up to you and asking you the question, "Are you holy?" Perhaps, your immediate response might to say, "That's a private and personal question." Or after a little reflection you might say, "Well, I have tried to live a good life, treat people well, tried not to sin, and I go to church." You might even ask back, "Why do you want to know?" I have asked a few people this question and have gotten a few of the same answers and responses like those above, along with a few more. Many of the responses came after some reflection and taking personal inventory over one's past. But then, after asking permission to rephrase the question, I then ask this follow-up question, "From God's perspective and viewpoint, are you Holy?" A question all together different than the question I first asked. The first question directed one to self-reflect, to justify by one's personal efforts as to whether or not one has attained holiness. The second question is directed to change our perspective to see ourselves not as we see ourselves, but to begin to see ourselves as God sees us- and it is this perspective that makes all the difference in changing, transforming our lives.

Why is this an important question? It has long been accepted from God's word, the Bible, that God is Holy and just. And, thus being Holy and just, God cannot associate with sin and unrighteousness. God cannot allow sin to be in his presence. Hence, if we are unholy, we are separated from God and a personal relationship with Him cannot exist. Thus, being sinful, we are spiritually dead to God. But if we are holy, we can be in the presence of God and be restored into a intimate personal relationship with him. The ramification of our holiness is huge!

"But your iniquities have separated you from you God; your sins have hidden his face

from you, so that he will not hear."

Isaiah 59:2

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23

But, if we are holy, without sin, then spiritually we are reborn spiritually and our relationship with our heavenly Father and creator can be reestablished. So, it begs the question again, "From God's perspective, are you holy? The answer? If in Christ, as the eternal sacrificial lamb, laying down a perfect life upon the cross, took upon himself all the sins of the world to fully pay the penalty due each one of us for our sinful nature, then Jesus, by faith, has made each one of us holy in God's sight, assuming that you personally have come to a decision of accepting what Christ did for you and accept him as your savior and seek to allow him to become your Lord. Why was the cross so important? Because, upon the cross Jesus miraculously took unto himself all of our sins and in return, his righteousness was imputed back upon us-through Christ, it is as if to God we have never sinned- past, present and future. The only way that we can be eternally forgiven is if our sins are totally forgiven, once and for all, making us in fact, holy.

"Then he (Jesus) said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He set aside the first to

establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice

of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Hebrews 10:10

"For by one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Hebrews 10:14

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

"He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,

which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the

cross."

Colossians 2:13-14

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known to

which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in

Jesus Christ to all who believe."

Romans 3:21-22

"For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."

Romans 3:28

From God's perspective, are we holy? According to the Bible the answer is emphatically, YES! But such holiness comes not out of our effort in seeking to be righteous before God. Instead, in His love, God made this provision for us. It was God's love for mankind that manifested itself through His mercy, forgiveness and grace. If I am holy, it is only because of the blood Jesus shed upon the cross. Here is an interesting follow-up question: What if I really screw up this afternoon, do something I thought I would never do, from God's perspective, am I still holy? As you might struggle a bit in trying to answer this, I hope the Holy Spirit brings you to the understanding that the answer is still, absolutely, yes! Because it doesn't depend on you! How can this be? Because my holiness and your holiness comes not from our effort but is based upon what Jesus did for us. Jesus did it all! It is to say that we have all been given a life test from God and through Christ, we have all received an A. Not because we did well on the test, but because Jesus took the test for us paying for it with his life.

It may surprise you and you might even, at first glimpse, consider it sacrileges, that I no longer ask for God's forgiveness when I mess up. Don't get me wrong. I didn't say that I don't admit when I do wrong, that I don't recognize when I screwed up, or that I didn't have a contrite heart about what I had done. I am simply choosing by faith to believe that God through Christ has already forgiven my sins past, present, and future. If God has forgiven me already, why go back and ask Him for something that he has already done for me? That understanding for me has brought me great peace knowing that I can't screw things up. I no longer do things because I have to- like trying to keep the law and the commandments- my motivation is now a desire to want to live a life pleasing to the Heavenly Father because, through Christ, I am now a child of God. It is my love for God that moves me and purifies my motives. A love that only came about because God first loved me.

"We love, because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

Tomorrow at Grace Corners, I look forward to introducing you to "Carpe Momentum in Love." I believe you will find it an inspiring way to live out your life.

See you then.