So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to [the new heaven and the new earth], make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:14, NIV)
Maybe the hardest idea of all in living for Jesus is holiness. Plenty of churchgoers would much rather hear about money than the quest to become increasingly holy! That said, here are some words about holiness…
For all the forgiving God has done of your sins, he still wants you to forsake them and move toward holiness.
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It doesn’t do any of us any good to reason that my sins are mine and your sins are yours and therefore they essentially negate the practice of spurring one another on in our pursuit of holiness. It’s no different than saying to your golfing buddy, “I may not be able to hit a decent drive, but you can’t putt!” You both have a long way to go. So shut up and keep going! (And help each other at it.)
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Holiness is meant to pervade every arena of your life. If you’re insisting that you’re holy over here but not over there, the bottom line is you’re still not holy. But that’s no reason to give up.
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Peter got it right. If you want to live at peace with God, you’re going to need to become holy—because here’s the deal: he’s not going to become unholy for you.
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It’s true that we can never be holy without God’s Spirit taking hold in our lives. But Scripture’s words are not wasted; we are told to “make every effort” for a reason. Therefore, here’s a good place to start in your every effort: give the Spirit every latitude in the world that is your life.
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You’re going to be holy in eternity.
So look forward to that day by getting started now!
—
Jeff Hopper
August 31, 2012
Copyright 2012 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.