Leading a Life of Holiness

STOP SINNING! Jesus tells is in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" Another version says, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Still another version tells us, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." How about this version? "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." The Amplified Bible puts it like this: "You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect." What is the point of all of this? Well, no matter which version you read this verse in, the message is still the same. In fact, I love how "The Message" puts it. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."
We are commanded to be perfect. It is as simple as that. We are also called to live holy. 1 Peter 1:16 tells is "Be holy, for I am holy." This is not a new standard. Peter quotes this from Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2; and 20:7. He is just reminding us that we are still called to live holy. Holy means set apart. Different from the world. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
"You know, I'm only human." That is the biggest cop-out in the history of the church. Let me tell you this: You are not only human. You are the temple of the almighty God, and His Kingdom, and neither God nor His Kingdom can stand sin. Who else was human? Ananias and Sapphira. They were "only human." But they were struck dead on the spot because of one sin. God exacted his penalty right then and there. What was their deadly sin? Lying. It's not like they murdered or raped someone, or stole anything. All they did was lie. But in God's eyes, sin is sin. It is not a joke, nor is it something to be taken lightly.
Jesus gave us an example for something to strive for. He lived an entire life without sin. Here is another huge cop-out: "But Jesus was God." Jesus may have been God, but he was also 100% man. Jesus had every opportunity to sin. So do we. Jesus did not sin. We do. But, he gave us an example: it is possible to be sinless. No, we cannot do it in our own power. Yes, we do desperately need God's help. But would Jesus give us a command that we couldn't follow? NO! And he commanded us to be perfect, and holy. They're like the commands to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," "Love your neighbor as yourself," and "Go and make disciples." They are all attainable, and more than that, God expects us to follow them.
You are human. You more than likely are going to screw up and sin. That does not mean you use your humanness as an excuse to sin. If you sin, you repent, apologize to whomever you may have sinned against, and go and sin no more. Quit making excuses. Love Jesus.

A Life Full of God

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) Despite the popularity of this verse, Christ did not come to make you happy. Having life to the full does not mean the American dream. It is not a nice house, 2 cars in the garage, 2.7 kids, a barbeque, and a flag in your front yard. It has been said that "the safest place for you to be is in the center of God's will for your life." That is either misconstrued or misinterpreted. The safest place for your soul is the center of God's will for your life. This is not a physical statement. Look at Paul in the New Testament. If anyone was in the center of God's will for their life, it was Paul. And yes, Paul did have life to the full. look at 2 Corinthians 11. This is what Paul tells us of his life.
"I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." That is certainly a full life. But it wasn't good. If you have seen The Passion, you saw Jesus get whipped with the cat-o-nine-tails. He got whipped over and over and got raw and bloody. Paul was whipped like that... 5 times. They say that 40 lashes can kill a man, hence the "40 lashes minus one." He was on the edge of death. Same with stoning. Stoning usually killed men. Paul should know, he ordered Stephen to be stoned. Paul was stoned once, and he lived. Despite all of this, he can still tell us in Phillipians 4:11 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Are you understanding this? Paul looked death in the face time and time again, and yet he says he learned to be content, whatever the circmstances. This is a life to the full, as Jesus told us about in John 10:10. I'm not saying that you're going to go through these kinds of trials and tribulations. But you might. Luke 21:17 says that "All men will hate you because of me." Jesus was hated and persecuted. Do you think you're better than Jesus? Jesus came to give us life, and give it to the full, but not in the way that churches teach us. Our lives should be full of God. So full of God, in fact, that it pours out of our mouths, feet, and fingertips. And people are going to be offended. Christianity is offensive. People call it small-minded. It is. So is Math. 2+2=4. There is only one correct answer for that question. If you don't believe it, if you don't agree with it, it makes no difference. It's still a fact. It's still the truth. Truth hinges neither on belief, nor knowledge. Truth just is. And the truth is, your life is not meant to be spectacular. It's meant to be a life lived for Christ. And when you die and get to heaven, hopefully you'll hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Grace of the Law

If I could find the words to speak, you would be on your knees trembling before the living God. Fire goes before Him and burns up all His enemies. He is surrounded by clouds, shrouded in darkness, his lightning lights up the entire world. Mountains melt like wax before him (Psalm 97). The very voice of the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon (Psalm 29). The angre of the Lord makes the very foundations of the Earth shake (Psalm 18). The Lord struck 2 people dead "simply" for lack of reverance (Leviticus 10). They came to the altar of the Lord without reverance, and God killed them. In Acts, the New Testament, God struck 2 people dead "just" for lying.
You deserve to go to Hell. There is no blaming Adam and original sin. You made your own decisions. Sin is not allowed to get into Heaven. The moment you blatantly committed your first sin, you fell under the judgment of Romans 6:23a. You now have a room reserved for you in the place of eternal punishment and torment. If you have committed only one single solitary sin, you will have to face God on judgment day. In a court case, you only need 1 convincing piece of evidence to convict a person. Now imagine you are facing God's judgment in Heaven. Only one sin is needed to send you to Hell. In walks Satan. He holds a note card in his hand. He hands it to God, and God silently reads it. You can tell He is unhappy. "Is this all?" He asks your accuser. "No," replied Satan. "I could bring them in," he says, "but it would really be more effective for you to come into the room where they are all kept." "Very well," says God, and they walk out. You follow them into a room filled to the ceiling with shelves full of boxes full of index cards. You can see a smirk on Satan's face as he tells God, "Don't like that particular sin, Lord?" he sneers. "There are plenty to choose from." How many sins could you have committed in your life? How many times did you lust... lie... cheat... steal... what does this card say? "Stole a nickle from his roommate on..." But it was only a nickle! Still stealing, though. What's this... approaching God with irreverence? But you were tired! Wow, God takes this sin thing seriously.
And now the face of God turns towards you, and you finally understand what John Wesley meant when he said "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of a living God." The voice that shattered the cedars of Lebanon is now directed at you. As He speaks, your soul trembles and your spirit is broken. "Time and time again you sinned against me, knowingly! Over and over you made excuses for yourself. You have no excuses! You knew what I commanded, and yet you blatently disobeyed me! I asked you to love others as you love yourself, and instead you seeked vengence and revenge and all your selfish desires! The penalty for your sin is death, eternal death. You will thirst and not drink. You will hunger and not eat. You will seek light, but it will ever be dark." There is nothing you can say. There is nothing you can do. You have come to the end of the line, and you are now only getting what you deserve. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Satan, giddy with glee, for he knows he has won you. Satan mouths the words you longed to hear from God: "Well done, my good and faithful servant." God is about to pour out His wrath on your soul.
Just then, in that moment, a voice cries out from behind you. "WAIT!" Everything stops, and you see a man come into the room. "Father," he says, "You cannot sentence this child like this. He is justified." Satan steps forward. "What are you talking about? Look at this room. It is bursting at the seams with his sins!" No," replies Jesus. "It isn't. Look again. Flip over any of these cards and check the name of who they belong to." The smile fades from Satan's face as he walks over to a box. He opens it, flips a card over. "No..." you hear him whisper. He flips over another card, throws it on the floor. Another, and another, and finally he begins dumping the boxes of cards all over the floor. On his hands and knees, he frantically searches. Louder and louder you hear him cry. "No. No! NO!!!!!"Every card on the floor and in the boxes bears the name of Jesus.
This is the God you serve. Terribly just, yet lovingly merciful. He is not a joke. He is not a "homeboy." He is still King, still Lord. You owe Him you life, your heart, your soul. Start living like it.

Raw Christianity

"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won't let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and you won't go in yourselves. Yes, how terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are." And again, later in that same chapter. "In saying that, you are accusing yourselves of being the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead. Finish what they started. Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matthew 23:13-15, 31-33)
My word. If these words were said today, people would take high offense. This is not what people want to hear. But these words came from the mouth of Jesus. They were pointed straight at the hearts of the religious leaders of that period. These religious leaders led a life according to the law of Moses, but they lacked the one thing that would get them into heaven: a relationship with the living God. Read Matthew 21:12:
"Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves"
Jesus was not your typical preacher. He exuded power and authority. He was real and raw. He told it like it was. He didn't beat around the bush or have seeker-sensitive or seeker-friendly messages. I hope you don't think Jesus was soft. Don't think that Jesus came to bring peace on Earth and good will towards men. No, in Jesus own words,
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law– a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."
This is not your momma's Christianity. This is real. This is raw. When you get down and dirty, into the nitty-gritty of what our walk with Christ should look like, people get uncomfortable. When you speak the truth and tell it like it is, people will get offended. They don't want to hear what you have to say. And that is okay. It isn't your job to convince anyone of anything. It's your job to present the truth, and then pray that the Holy Spirit will work on them. And it is your job to present the truth. You will not argue anybody into the kingdom. It doesn't work like that.
But if someone who wears the nametag "Christian" is blatantly sinning, it's your job to call them on it and hold them accountable. That is what Jesus was doing in the above verses. Now, you don't have to call anyone a "brood of vipers," and it isn't your job to condemn them to Hell. But if you're reading this, and you call yourself a Christian, I'm calling you out. Start living by Biblical principles(So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:3). You want encouragement?
That will come later.