Holiness Is Not Optional
I believe one of the most common misconceptions about salvation is that holiness is extra. Many people think that they can choose to be holy, if they desire to, after they are saved. Somehow they do not understand that holiness is not optional. The writer of Hebrews knew that so he told us that without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14) I hope we can all understand this vital truth.
When we are saved, we repent of our sins, and we trust Christ as Lord and Savior. The act of repentance means to have a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior. We turn away from sin, once and for all, being convinced that our way and the way of this world, leads to Hell. Then, when we are saved, we are saved from sin, not in our sin. Paul put it so well in Romans 6:2, "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" We are sanctified at salvation. We are set apart from sin and set apart to God. That is why believers are called saints. The word saints means "holy ones." The Christian life is holiness. It is growing to be more like Jesus as we are conformed to His image. (Romans 8:29) Jesus always did the right thing and never did the wrong thing. That is pure holiness, and that is our goal. We won't reach that goal on this earth, but we are constantly growing closer and closer to it, as Our Father chastens us (Hebrews 12:9,10), and as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ. (II Corinthians 3:18)
That is why without holiness we will not see the Lord. Anyone who is lacking holiness is not one of His children. If they were, He would chasten them until they became holy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hebrews 13 and James 1-2.
When we are saved, we repent of our sins, and we trust Christ as Lord and Savior. The act of repentance means to have a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior. We turn away from sin, once and for all, being convinced that our way and the way of this world, leads to Hell. Then, when we are saved, we are saved from sin, not in our sin. Paul put it so well in Romans 6:2, "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" We are sanctified at salvation. We are set apart from sin and set apart to God. That is why believers are called saints. The word saints means "holy ones." The Christian life is holiness. It is growing to be more like Jesus as we are conformed to His image. (Romans 8:29) Jesus always did the right thing and never did the wrong thing. That is pure holiness, and that is our goal. We won't reach that goal on this earth, but we are constantly growing closer and closer to it, as Our Father chastens us (Hebrews 12:9,10), and as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ. (II Corinthians 3:18)
That is why without holiness we will not see the Lord. Anyone who is lacking holiness is not one of His children. If they were, He would chasten them until they became holy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hebrews 13 and James 1-2.