Holiness form within, not from without

It is always a battle, isn’t it?  We are always batting to be who God wants us to be, or at least who we think God wants us to be.  We are constantly trying to be a follower of Jesus, trying to do God’s will and trying to be the good Christian that we are expected to be.

Maybe you aren’t moved much by what people say or think.  Even then, we still struggle with trying to please God.  Living a life that will build my relationship with God and not break it down.  I realised that we are so busy trying to be Christians that we miss the concept op righteousness and being holy, completely.

We work hard in order to live and act holy, yet this was never what God asked of any of us.  Let’s first look at what it really means to be righteous or holy.  I am going to run through this real quick; 

Firstly, to be righteous means to be in right standing with God.  We all know that, that is why we try silly things or keep from other things in order to be “pure” and “holy” before God.  We know that without this righteousness there is no way we can enter God’s presence let alone have an intimate relationship with God.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  -2 Corinthians 5:21

So, Jesus died so that we can be righteous.  Now I know you all have heard this before, but bear with me here for a moment.  This righteousness was something that could only have been obtained by a price.  Jesus paid that price on the cross.  It cost God’s life in order so that we can be righteous.  So how do we obtain this valuable item that God purchased?

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  -Romans 3:22

Through faith in Jesus.  That is it.  It is as simple as that.  We have been made righteous by only believing in God and believing in the price that Jesus paid on the cross.  What’s more…

1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  -Romans 5:1-2

We are in full right standing with God and we are already holy.  Now here is the part I want to get to.  Your actions cannot make you holy or unholy.  Before you start arguing, hear me out.  The Pharisees nails Jesus on the fact that His disciples does not wash their hands before they eat.  In the Jewish culture of that time, eating without washing your hands, made you unholy.  You know what Jesus answered them?

10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”  -Matthew 5:10-11

As shock as that sounds, it doesn’t end with food.  See, righteousness and holiness comes from within.  It is a gift from God once we believe in the Jesus and the price He paid.  Once we are holy, whether we smoke or don’t smoke.  Whether you do or do not do something, is not what increases or decreases your holiness or righteousness.  You, being holy and righteous is a fixed entity since God paid the price and not you or me. 

I am not saying that since we are saved we can go off gallivanting and do whatever we want.  See, this is where the Spirit within us starts to lead us and take over.  So, my statement is basically this.  We do not act holy so that we can be holy.  If this is your strategy you will definitely fail since you are now trying to work for something God already gave you by grace.  We act holy because of what is within us, and this means that acting Holy is no longer a struggle but it comes as second nature.