OK . . . I understand that being a follower of Jesus is simple on one hand and very hard on the other. Jesus' command to love God completely and our neighbor as ourselves is pretty clear and simple. Its implications are far reaching because nothing in my life is left out if I take that seriously. BUT . . . now I have to try and sort that all out as I live my life and that is the hard part. As a follower of Jesus I think I will spend the rest of my life sorting out the implications of what it means to love God and neighbor completely and, hopefully, I will continue to grow in my understanding and experience of that.
That brings me to another important point in trying to understand what it means to be holy:
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
The term sanctification is synonymous with holiness. To sanctify means to set apart, purify, consecrate, etc. Paul makes clear that this process should encompass EVERY area of our lives! Nothing is left out and verse 24 makes clear that God is faithfully doing that work in us.
Once again, this says to me that becoming holy means becoming more and more like Jesus and loving God and others more and more completely. It is a journey and not something I arrive at, but a process that is ongoing throughout my life.
In that way, just as the work of saving my soul was God's through the grace of Jesus so is the work of making me holy. Its a grace act. I am given a gift of becoming more holy like Jesus.
To me that is a freeing concept. It takes a real load off my shoulders to know I am not a finished product and the work of sanctifying is God's work and not mine. I simply partner with Him by surrendering my will and heart to Him and allow Him to work - even the hard work - in me.
How do you understand this? How much of becoming holy do you see as being "up to you" and how much of it do you see as a gift of God beyond your control? What role do you play?
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I agree, it is a grace gift. I am greatly encouraged in my own journey to know that I received the gift of grace and it continually being worked out by the Spirit's presence in my life. I really like the Greek here -- punctiliar action which continues as an ongoing process.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I cannot neglect the spiritual disciplines which enhance the growth of the gift-worship, prayer, Bible study, etc. The parable of the sower and the four seeds fits here. The ground has to be ready for the gift to grow.