"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Eph. 1:4
Teenage Christians (all Christians for that matter) have always debated that fact that God demands we live a holy life. A life subject to his wishes and his wants. You say you don’t disagree with that? Well, in order to live in subjection to Christ, one must deny the flesh of the things that it wants. The term “fasting” has become a way of losing weight and gaining mental freedom when it really is something done in order to show God that you are willing to make you flesh do without in order to get closer to him. This may sound simple, but my friends it is a great mystery. Here in is the Sabbath of the Saints, the Day of the Lord that we are to . . . . what? KEEP HOLY!! There is that word again. Holy. Actually, the term holy is used 544 times in the Bible and, including synonyms, can be found over 2,000 times All those times the emphasis of the usage is to live a life free from sin.
To illustrate that point the verse above is a prime example. The word “holy” is translated from the Greek word “hagios” (hag'-ee-os); which literally translated means “physically pure, morally blameless.” Paul declares that God, the Almighty Creator, hath chosen us, “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” Therefore, in order to be in the will of God, we must be holy (i.e., physically pure, morally blameless). Our lives should be used to live like Christ on this earth. After all, the HOLY Bible, God’s HOLY Word, declares that, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Pet. 2:21-22).
Christ is our example. He is the mark by which our lives will be judged. We must, as the HOLY Bible says, “Follow his steps.” The chapter continues, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (I Pet. 2:23-24). Here again we find that the word “righteousness” means to act HOLY or to be physically pure or morally straight.
There is really no way to just end this article. The fact is, it could go on and on showing the hundreds of places where God demands that we act, speak, and in short, live on this earth a Holy life, without spot or blemish, unto our great God and only Savior, Jesus Christ. So I will end with the words of God: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” |
