Why should I pursue purity? Why should I pursue honesty? Why should I pursue holiness?
It may seem like a silly question but it is so important that we know the answer. And we must not only know the answer, but live it out.
You see, we need to know the "why" deep within our hearts so we can completely walk in the light of God's freedom, produce fruit pleasing to God, and respond appropriately to sin. Otherwise, we live the frustrating life of self-condemnation and self-betterment.
It's so easy for me to fall into a "good girl" mentality. And before I know it, I create my own version of the gospel...
I examine my record instead of God's grace. I did it again! I'm so angry with myself! I almost made it an entire week without committing that sin! Now, I can't check off that box.
"But I can see that I'm frequently more concerned about whether I approve myself than the fact that God approves me" Elyse Fitzpatrick
"Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the" flesh? Galatians 3:3
I blame my circumstances on my actions. Man, I had a really good day today. I didn't commit that one sin and I managed my other "smaller" sins pretty well. That means, I'm going to be so much happier tomorrow!
"They think that their relationship with God is predicated on the fact that they're not really all that bad, and then they wonder if God still loves them when they struggle with ongoing sin." Elyse Fitzpatrick
What an exhausting way to live! I have my "why" all confused! My relationship with God, His promise to be mind forever, has absolutely nothing to do with my performance!
I want to lead a godly life, I want to grow my Christian maturity but, with this legalistic "on my best behavior" obsession, I get no where. My motivation for holiness isn't pure; therefore, my yoke is hard and my burden is heavy!
So, like a little kid pestering his mother with the simple yet thought provoking question "Why?" ("But WHY is the sky blue, mommy?), I ask God...
Teach me the "Why."
To improve my mood? No, my emotions are temporary. To feel better about myself? No, I will always fall short. To control my circumstances? No, my actions don't always determine your situation. To please other people? No, people sin too; their opinions are faulty.
You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16
He answered my prayer almost immediately through 1 Peter. 1 Peter is a list of identity traits for children of God. Read it, and you will discover who you are. Not how you feel, not what the world says you are, not who you were before Jesus, but who you are, right now, in Christ!
We pursue holiness because that is who we are, holy. Oh no...here it comes again. But why?
Because God loves me.
That's right, the "why" is love. God's love is the one constant in our life. When we meditate on God's love, soak it in, rejoice in it, take comfort in it, find security in it, and believe in it with all our heart, soul, and mind, the answer to our "why" will be because of God's love.
Love is the fulfilling of the law Romans 13:10
God's love is so rich, we cannot measure it; so deep, we cannot see the bottom of it; so wide, we cannot see the end of it; so powerful, we cannot fail it; so steadfast, we cannot escape it!
God's love freed us from a legalistic, "good girl" lifestyle so we can boldly enter His presence, humbly ask for forgiveness, trustingly choose righteousness, willingly deny sin, and joyfully enjoy the benefits of salvation no matter our sinful flesh.
"All obedience begins in the affections, and nothing in religion is done right, that is not done there first." Matthew Henry
Reflect over the implications of God's love in the first two chapters of 1 Peter. May the Holy Spirit give you the strength to comprehend God's love so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3)!
Why holiness? Because...
❤︎ God promised Himself to you; He is guarding your inheritance (1:3-4).
❤︎ You have future grace, a hope for eternal glory (1:13).
❤︎ You are an obedient child of God, you have new desires as an entirely new person (1:14).
❤︎ He Who called you is holy (1:16).
❤︎ You are ransomed, bought with Jesus' blood; therefore, you are His (1:18).
❤︎ Your faith and hope are in God NOT SIN (1:21).
❤︎ Your heart is pure; not was pure, not will be pure, but IS pure (1:22).
❤︎ You are a completely different person than who you were before Christ (1:23).
❤︎ God's Word (His promises and truth) is the only thing that will last or matter in the end (1:25).
❤︎ You have tasted the marvelous works of Jesus and the goodness of the Lord: Your natural response is to praise and act like Him (2:3).
❤︎ You are hand-picked by God: You are His prized possession. You are not my own. You are God's person (2:9).
❤︎ You are called by God to proclaim His excellencies (which you have experienced first-hand) through your words, actions, and attitude (2:9).
❤︎ You have abundant mercy always and forever: Nothing can separate you from God's love. Nothing you do will make Him turn His back on you (2:10).
❤︎ You are a stranger on earth: This is not your home; therefore, you do not live by its standards or values. You live according to your heavenly home, a far better resting place (2:11).
❤︎ You are dearly beloved: cherished, esteemed, worthy of eternal life, favored, and treasured by God and by Christians as we are bound together in the mutual love of God (2:11).
Father,
Father,
When I sin unto you, I respond like Eve. I run from you in shame. I try to hide my nakedness, cover up my sin. I try to ignore the guilt and somehow do enough good deeds to outshine my bad one. But I know deep down that you see me in my darkest moments. You pursue me when I run to hide. You call out to me, "Where are you?" I am right here, behind this bush. I have sinned against you and you alone.
Sometimes I want the perfect track record more than nearness to You. May I seek you above temporary pleasure and even a "guilt-free" mind. I want to approve myself. I see that in the way I respond to my sin. Change my affections before I try to change my actions. I do not want to do anything in Your Name if it is not done in love. Remind me of who I am in you so I can stop checking boxes, measuring progress, and tallying "likes."
I am approved by you. You see me as you see your Son, beloved and precious and perfect. I am tired of living life relying on myself and "fixing" my emotions with a 2 mile run here, a worship song there, and a Bible Instagram photo there. According to 1 Corinthians 13, all of that is just noise to you! I can stop condemning myself for you choose grace on top of grace for me. Thank you for your love! Remind me the "Why" every day.
Sometimes I want the perfect track record more than nearness to You. May I seek you above temporary pleasure and even a "guilt-free" mind. I want to approve myself. I see that in the way I respond to my sin. Change my affections before I try to change my actions. I do not want to do anything in Your Name if it is not done in love. Remind me of who I am in you so I can stop checking boxes, measuring progress, and tallying "likes."
I am approved by you. You see me as you see your Son, beloved and precious and perfect. I am tired of living life relying on myself and "fixing" my emotions with a 2 mile run here, a worship song there, and a Bible Instagram photo there. According to 1 Corinthians 13, all of that is just noise to you! I can stop condemning myself for you choose grace on top of grace for me. Thank you for your love! Remind me the "Why" every day.
Amen.
☎︎
The Girl Next Door
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