“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the [g]sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].” Galatians 5:16 AMP
The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in the region of Galatia to “walk” and be “responsive” to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit would be to “convict us concerning sin and righteous.”
“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” John 16:8 NLT
The process of convicting us of our sin is part of the sanctification cycle in our lives. Notice the three things that are working together here: conviction, righteousness, and judgement. Sin is the Greek word which means to “miss the mark.” It is the picture of an archer or rifleman trying to hit the center of the target. So how do we know what the “mark” is in our lives according to the heart of God? Let’s ask the Scripture to guide us. Peter wrote in his first epistle,
“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY (set apart), FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1: 15-16 AM
Sometimes we think about holiness as an outward demonstration of religion. We see someone praying or serving or leading at church and think “oh what a holy person!” While outward demonstrations are important, they are not the whole truth. Holiness is to be separate from something and dedicated to its purpose. If we want to know the purpose of God in our life, then we need to know his righteousness or His “right-ness!” In the Old Testament we read the following command,
“You are to be holy to Me; for I the LORD am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine.” Leviticus 20:26 AMP
Paul then wrote to the church at Corinth and qualified exactly what that means,
" What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: “I WILL DWELL AMONG THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17“So COME OUT FROM AMONG UNBELIEVERS AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord,”
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 AMP
As the process of sanctification works in our lives, we look less and less like the world and its pursuits and become more and more reflective of God and His pursuits. That transition is driven by the tension created knowing about the judgment of God against that behavior or lifestyle! The laws of the land are designed to have consequences when not followed. It is that tension that hopefully prevents people from breaking them. While I do not fear God now, I do respect the reality of His sovereign judgment against sin. It is out of His love that He warns us about sinful behavior. In fact, He has gone to great lengths to warn us of the outcomes of those behaviors!
I want to encourage you today to pursue righteousness with all your heart. Not so that those around you praise your holiness but that those around you would see Christ living through you!
"It Shows!"
“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the [g]sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].” Galatians 5:16 AMP
The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in the region of Galatia to “walk” and be “responsive” to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit would be to “convict us concerning sin and righteous.”
“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” John 16:8 NLT
The process of convicting us of our sin is part of the sanctification cycle in our lives. Notice the three things that are working together here: conviction, righteousness, and judgement. Sin is the Greek word which means to “miss the mark.” It is the picture of an archer or rifleman trying to hit the center of the target. So how do we know what the “mark” is in our lives according to the heart of God? Let’s ask the Scripture to guide us. Peter wrote in his first epistle,
“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY (set apart), FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1: 15-16 AM
Sometimes we think about holiness as an outward demonstration of religion. We see someone praying or serving or leading at church and think “oh what a holy person!” While outward demonstrations are important, they are not the whole truth. Holiness is to be separate from something and dedicated to its purpose. If we want to know the purpose of God in our life, then we need to know his righteousness or His “right-ness!” In the Old Testament we read the following command,
“You are to be holy to Me; for I the LORD am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine.” Leviticus 20:26 AMP
Paul then wrote to the church at Corinth and qualified exactly what that means,
" What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: “I WILL DWELL AMONG THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17“So COME OUT FROM AMONG UNBELIEVERS AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord,”
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 AMP
As the process of sanctification works in our lives, we look less and less like the world and its pursuits and become more and more reflective of God and His pursuits. That transition is driven by the tension created knowing about the judgment of God against that behavior or lifestyle! The laws of the land are designed to have consequences when not followed. It is that tension that hopefully prevents people from breaking them. While I do not fear God now, I do respect the reality of His sovereign judgment against sin. It is out of His love that He warns us about sinful behavior. In fact, He has gone to great lengths to warn us of the outcomes of those behaviors!
I want to encourage you today to pursue righteousness with all your heart. Not so that those around you praise your holiness but that those around you would see Christ living through you!
Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken