This devotion was taken from My Utmost For His Highest By Oswald Chambers
I am continually brought back to this message. There's obviously some truth to it, if that's the case. My flesh continues to deny it's validity, but my spirit testifies to me over and over and over again that I need to pursue holiness above everything else. The conviction that results is sometimes painful, but soooooooooooooo necessary. Just a little thought from me....read on.
Oswald Chambers:
. . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ —1 Peter 1:16
We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.
Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atonement through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer.
Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.
6 comments:
Oh me.
Yet again...I was sent here for a reason...I have been meaning to tell you that some of your words were the reason I took my "blog-cation" last week. Your comment on one of my posts about "being in the Word" first and foremost each day, pierced me. I have perspective now after a week away from it all...and my priorities are back in place. If I lose readers, so be it....Thank you Lord for sending Melissa to be my accountability in the blogosphere.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
yet another one to print out. And tape to my bathroom mirror. I was in the nursery yesterday morning (by accident--wasn't my turn, but for whatever reason God put me there) and then Caroline ran a fever all last night, so outside of Sunday school I got zero preachin'. 'Til now.
I love it. Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by today! We are sitting and waiting while the first bands approach us. Will keep you updated!
Melissa - I've not seen Baby Mama, but I've heard it is a laugh riot. We are currently expecting our first child, a daughter, in October and I'd like to see the movie before she arrives. I think it's out on dvd now - maybe I'll check on that!
Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Labor Day
Loved this. I truly believe that God's desire for me is Holiness. But for years, I worked hard to do the right things to make myself holy and found myself exhausted. I realize now that not only did He take my life He exchanged my life--and made me completely NEW- His Spirit is Enough to transform me -- and I can rest in that as I abide in Him each day. Thanks for sharing this great devotion.
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