3 Effective Ways To Be More Holy
Wow! I am impressed! The fact that you opened up this blog post, and are already reading it means that you have a heart for God! A heart to be holy.
I’m guessing you know, as I do, what a challenge this is!
Before we even attempt to be holy, dear sister, there are two things you and I must understand;
Firstly, we both know that we fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that we are not holy.
Unless we understand how sinful, wretched, and depraved we are, we will never, ever, ever truly seek holiness. Tweet That is the foundation for desiring this quality, for being convinced of its necessity to please God, and the basic groundwork for salvation unto eternal life.
I am convinced that the first step towards attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.
J.C. Ryle
Secondly, you and I both know that being holy is a priority – a top priority. Besides God requiring it, no matter what goes on in our lives, nothing brings as much peace, perspective and purpose as focusing on being holy.
It is helpful to be mindful of Scripture’s suggestion command:
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness,
Without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14
You won’t see the Lord without being holy! I am determined to meditate on the following 3 effective ways to be more holy from now on, and I’m sharing them with you, sister, so that we can run this race together (Hebrews 12:1-3)!
You Shall Give an Account of Yourself to God
This is the most fearful, humbling, and heart-changing truth to get your head around.
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Romans 14:12
You, my sweet sister, will not be giving an account to God for your husband, for your children, or for your pastor. One day, when you have breathed your last, you will stand before the King of all Kings, Awesome in wonder and Mighty in Power, and you will give an account for yourself, for ___________ (insert your full name here).
The only one you and I will be giving an account for is ourselves! Tweet
When you begin to be aware of the coming Day, and what you will say to the Lord during your account to Him, it will only be natural to desire to be holy.
Focus on the Throne Room of Heaven
We are given several peaks into the throne room of Heaven. Even though our finite minds cannot grasp the majesty, power, and perfection of that most Awesome place, I believe that one of the reasons that God has placed these descriptions of it in Scripture is to stir us to see a picture of holiness and to desire “as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15)
I listened to a fantastic sermon recently by one of my very favourite preachers, Dr. Steven Lawson, titled, Encountering the Holiness of God.
In his sermon, Dr. Lawson refers to Isaiah 6:3:
And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
He wisely states that in the throne room of Heaven, at all times, the Seraphim are calling out these words. They are declaring, proclaiming, testifying to God’s single greatest attribute. They do not proclaim, “Loving, Loving, Loving is the Lord of Hosts” (even though God is Love (1 John 4:8)). They do not call out “Compassionate, Compassionate, Compassionate is the Lord of Hosts” (even though God is compassionate (Psalm 103:13)).
But holiness is the attribute that all of the heavenly beings are called to dwell on! Tweet
Living in awe of the heavenly scene described in Isaiah 6 and other similar passages of Scripture is one of the keys of holy living.
Walk As Jesus Did
One of my favourite verses in the Bible is also one of the most challenging that exists!
He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 2:6
Did you catch that? Walk just as He walked! At first glance, these words sound almost simple, nonchalant, casual. “Go on, if you claim to abide in him, just walk as Jesus walked! What’s the big deal…?”
But a big deal it is, my friend! This verse is absolutely jam-packed with responsibility, but it is actually more realistic than we realize. Our Lord walked in this world, giving us a shining example of perfect obedience to God. If you and I claim and profess to abide in Him, we must follow his pattern and example. We must aim to resemble our perfect Master in every way, shape, and form. If we do, Jesus promises:
Then are you my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.
John 14:15
It’s actually not as vague as it initially sounds to “walk just as He walked.” In fact, without going into detail, it is actually extremely and profoundly specific. This verse is pregnant with confirmations that we need to follow the Bible’s commands.
You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:4
Basically, read the Bible, know what it says, meditate on its life-changing contents, and apply, or obey, them.
So, as we think about the next year, making plans, setting goals, forming decisions of what will work based on what didn’t, let’s not neglect making ‘holiness’ a priority! One moment at a time…
What is the greatest hindrance to your holiness and what can you do today to get on track with a heart to be holy as He is holy.
