For years while I was growing up, I had this image of God as strict, immovable and swift to punish me for my sins. Almost like He was waiting with a stick in His hand, expecting me to mess up any minute. I guess that came from the fact that I knew He was so exceedingly holy and that He said, "Be holy, because I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44) and I was all too aware of the fact that I could never match up to that holiness of God!
Then during my teens, God had a makeover (in my mind, that is :p). He became a God who was forgiving, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, which I might add, is definitely true! But my juvenile mind inadvertently thought that this gave me the right to do as I please because Jesus' blood would wash me clean and restore me. What a sorry state to be in!
Yes, we can never match up to God's holiness but that doesn't mean we give up on "pursuing" it. It might seem like God gave us an impossible command - Be holy, because I am holy - but He doesn't expect us to do this on our own. It's His grace and strength that will enable us to live lives that are holy unto Him.
I believe that God is calling us to the next level of holiness 'with Him'. When we try and achieve this holiness on our own, our holiness is worth nothing. God wants us to rely on His Holy Spirit for this.
We'll never be perfect. Being holy is a ongoing process of chastening and pruning and is often not very pleasant. But remember, God chastens us for our profit, that we may be partakers in His holiness (Hebrews 12: 10).
So the next time, you find it difficult to give up something, or do something that God is asking you to, know that unless God disciplines us, we have no part in His holiness!
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