Inconvenienced

Are you inconvenienced by Holiness?

Maybe you say I want to be a man or a woman of God but you have a few inconsistencies in your character and are maybe lacking in your integrity. Maybe you are one of those who negotiate with God saying "I will go this far and no further!" You may even have a heart for God and just keep slipping up here and there. Let me encourage you that you can achieve Holiness! The word of God admonishes us to " ...Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

I was counseling a young woman one time and she had an excuse for everything and she said to me "I am not perfect!" I opened my Bible to Matthew 5:48 and read " So than, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." I went on to encourage her that though we may feel like it is impossible and that we are be expected to much of, God gives us the Grace to pursue after holiness, because holiness is perfection!

When I say "Pursue Holiness" you may think in your mind...Abstaining from sin, cleaning house so to speak, watching what we see, hear, say and do, etc.. Maybe to you being a good person is good enough. Let me bring something to light for you...It is not the act of holiness that is our pursuit, but the holy one Himself!

Jesus is the Holy one and He is our holy pursuit! Our love for Him must drive us to holiness! If you truly love with a pure unadulterated love, whole heartedly the one who loved you first, than holiness becomes a drive inside of you! A facet of who you are! You become like Him! My favorite verse in the Word is Psalm 17:15 " As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness!"

Maybe Holiness is not a priority to you now and it use to be. Let me encourage you to return to your first love! In Revelation 2:4 Jesus is speaking to the church of Ephesus and basically says I see all the good that you have done but ," ...I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love." To that person, do you remember the feeling of being in love with him and enjoying his presence? There are benefits to holiness! Holiness = No guilt! When you are right with God and you know that you are forgiven and clean, No Enemy or lie can tell you otherwise! True freedom is holiness! Praise God for His everlasting Love and Mercy that gives us the Grace to be Holy!

Please friend don't be inconvenienced by holiness. That unsurpassed love is always going to be far and above your wildest expectations and the only way to attain it is through your personal pursuit of Holiness!