The State of Faith
A Study on Holiness
No Magic Formula
Galatians 5:16
So I advise you to live according to your new life
in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature
craves.
NLT
Christian's are to be the light of the world. They are to be the vessel through which the light of Jesus Christ shines. God uses this light to draw others to Jesus by the testimony of the believer and the power of the Holy Scriptures. However, if Foster is correct, the light of many believer's is very dim and no one is being drawn to Christ. If the individual lights are dim, the church body has no light either. What is needed is a return to holiness.
There is no magic formula for holiness. I can only offer some suggestions and some thoughts. First, the believer firm needs to be "walking in the Spirit."
Romans 8:4-9 (NKJV)
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might
be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according
to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their
minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the
Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,
nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please
God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, he is not His.
Walking in the Spirit is living life in the power and direction of God. Walking in the Spirit is living for God and not living for the things of the world.
Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in
the Spirit.
But, there is no magic formula for this walk. Some things are obvious and have been emphasized in other parts of this web site:
- Study Your Bible
- Read your Bible
- Do daily devotions
- Maintain a strong, active prayer life
- Fellowship with other Christians
- Spend time at church, Sunday School or small groups and Bible studies
But, to live for God and not live "of the world" involves more than knowing God and His family. We must learn to be separated from the things of the world so we may focus and display the things of God. Not as a list of do's and don'ts but as a list of things to consider, what about:
- Giving Sundays to God and not to sports or shopping?
- Giving up all books, movies, and TV shows that even hint at sex, or bad language, or violence?
- Skipping those "dirty" joke sessions at the coffee pot?
- Giving up any form of flirting?
- Paying much more attention to dressing modestly and not worry about being "in fashion"?
- Obeying all traffic laws?
Remember, God is light, not darkness:
1 John 1:5 (NKJV)
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him
and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness
at all.
We are to be like Christ:
Philippians 2:5, 15(NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus, . . . 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children
of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world,
That last verse highlights how we are to live. I love the NIV version of the last part of verse 15:
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
Blameless, pure, harmless, shining like stars -- this is the true state of holiness.
Are you holy?
Shouldn't you be?
