A Gift of Holiness

I'm really getting a lot out of this book I'm reading for my online book club, The Fitting Room. In case you missed my earlier post (These Days), the book is based off of Colossians 3:12. Below I've shared a few key things I've learned from the past couple of chapters...

FIRST, Holiness is a gift. Have you realized that? If I'm honest, while I may know it is, I don't think I've lived like it is. We try to be holy. We try to put on the virtues in order to be holy. But that's WRONG! It's not about trying, it's about receiving. 

Justification/holiness is a gift that I receive once I accept Jesus into my life because of what He did on the cross. Through Jesus Christ, God has made me righteous in his sight.

Luke 18:9-14...The Pharisee did everything "right." He fasted, he tithed, he didn't do bad things - he believed he could achieve righteousness through his own goodness. The Tax Collector realized it is a gift soley from God and went home justified.

I think it's good to be reminded of this every now and then. We know that good works don't get us to heaven, but do we truly realize that we are holy simply because of what Jesus did for us and nothing else?? I know I don't all the time, but beginning to more and more. I'm praying, "Lord, thank you for the gift of holiness. Thank you that I'm holy because of you and I don't have to try to be holy."

Holiness means to be set apart. Not perfect, just set apart for his purposes. Which makes sense. Once we receive this gift of holiness (receive Jesus into our life), he can now use us for his purpose. But we don't accept Jesus into our life and then try to be holy so he can use us. We can't get it backwards.

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SECOND, the third part of understanding in this verse (chosen, holy, loved) is that we are loved. But not just loved. Dearly loved. We throw around the word love all the time these days. I know I do at least...

I love my family,
I love my friends,
I love running,
I love chocolate,
I love the beach,
and on and on and on.

But I also love God and know how much he loves me. I'd been convicted for using love for everything I describe (including His love) but then I realized God's love for us isn't just love like we use in our English language. Like Paul says, we are dearly loved. We are beloved. This is agape love - the love that led Christ to undergo suffering and death for us. The English language doesn't have a word to describe that so we continue to use love, but I just need to make sure I realize the vast difference between how God loves us and how we love all the things we love on earth. It doesn't even compare.

The book describes that when we are confident we are loved, the list of virtues becomes less chores and more delights we are eager to embody. Eager?? Are we really eager to ask for patience?? Maybe not but it's not an eagerness to put on patience, it's an eagerness to be more like Jesus Christ, to see him show up in a situation. When I think about it that way, bring on whatever virtue I need, because I definitely want to be more like Christ.

Striving also ceases to exist when we accept this unconditional love. When we are able to rest in who we are and the fact that God loves us no matter what, we no longer have to strive. We don't have to strive in ministry, we don't have to strive to be better, we just don't...we can rest in who God has made us and where he has placed us right now.

So those are just a few take-aways from my book right now. I'm loving this book club thing. It keeps me accountable even though I have noone to account to. I'm having so much fun doing it and learning so much. I hope you are enjoying a good book this summer too. Please let me know if you've read or are reading any good ones that I, or others, might like as well.