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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : Can you try and be holy?

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 Can you try and be holy?

Our calling is not primarily to be holy women,(or men) but to work
for God and for others with Him. Our holiness is an effect,
not a cause; so long as our eyes are on our own personal
whiteness as an end in itself, the thing breaks down. God can
do nothing while my interest is in my own personal character--
He will take care of this if I obey His call. In learning to
love God and people as He commanded us to do, obviously your
sanctification cannot but come, but not as an end in itself.
... Florence Allshorn (1887-1950), Notebooks [1957]

 2008/11/12 8:40
rbanks
Member



Joined: 2008/6/19
Posts: 1330


 Re: Can you try and be holy?

True Holiness is of the Lord imparted to the believer as He beholds the Lord through the mirror of His Word.

I believe the scripture teaches that we must “be” before we can “do”. We don’t do to become but we become so that we can do. The disciples were to tarry until. The apostle’s were sanctified by faith in Christ and filled with the Holy Ghost before they were sent. God qualifies those he calls. It is not those who went but those who were sent.

Although we can not wait on perfect holiness before we do anything of the Lord, we must have before we can give. We are to grow in holiness as we go with the Lord and His work. Let us also not think that our doing will contribute to our holiness because as we know our holiness is of the Lord and only as we are in the Lord.

 2008/11/12 9:13Profile









 Re:

Hi rbanks. That was a vague enough reply :)You write

"True Holiness is of the Lord imparted to the believer as He beholds the Lord through the mirror of His Word."

Not really sure what you mean by that, I think I do yet perhaps clarification would be good. To the babe in Christ that statement might not make a lot of sense. If you like, its "Christianeze speak." So, expound if you please :) Here is some plain speaking below that we can all relate too.......

Act 3:12 And seeing this, Peter answered the people, Men, Israelites, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made this man to walk by our own power or holiness?

As someone who is a born-again believer and Spirit filled, I have found that Christ is glorified in my weakness. When I am weak then He is strong. It is my humility, my brokeness that leads me into His presence. I am humbled because when I read His Word I realize how far short I fall. I am broken and surrendered because I know that I can "do," nothing. All of this leads me into His presence. And its in His presence that I am sanctified. Its because of being in the presence of the Living God that I am horrified at my own state. And out of that I am changed, just because of Him and my love for Him. I know that my sin seperates me from Him and its out of my desire to fellowship with Him that I humble myself and am broken before Him.

Psalm 51.. "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways; and sinners shall be converted to You."

As a Catholic I had many rules to keep and I broke them all, they were burdensome to me. As a born-again Christian, I no longer want to "not break rules." Its because of my love for my Jesus that I do not want to harm Him in any way. Its what motivates my whole life. His love for me and my love for Him. Out of this Love flows everything else. My sanctification, my desire to read the Word, my desire to follow the Words of Jesus. Out of my love, out of my fellowhsip with Him comes everything. It is in this place that we change. Any other starting point ends in self-righteousness for we know that in our flesh there is no good thing.........brother Frank

 2008/11/12 11:53
sojourner7
Member



Joined: 2007/6/27
Posts: 1573
Omaha, NE

 Re: Can you try and be holy?

Frank, here's something from Oswald Chambers
in regards to the question:

"Do I believe I need to holy ?? {see your need}
"Do I believe God can come into me and make
me holy ?? {see your Saviour}
"If by your preaching you convince me I am
unholy, I then resent your preaching. The
preaching of the gospel awakens an intense
resentment because it must reveal that I
am unholy; but it also awakens an intense
craving {once God has convicted, He will
awaken a sense of forgiveness and redemption}
God has one destined end for mankind, which is;
holiness. His one aim is the production of
saints. God is NOT an eternal-blessing
machine for men; and He did not come to save
men out of pity; He came to save men because
He created them to be holy."


_________________
Martin G. Smith

 2008/11/14 18:45Profile









 Re:

appolus,
you said you are born-again, Spirit filled, humble, broken, surrendered, and wholly motivated by love for your Jesus. Do you obey Christ's commands?
Ben

 2008/11/14 19:39









 Re:

Hi Ben

You write ..........

"appolus,
you said you are born-again, Spirit filled, humble, broken, surrendered, and wholly motivated by love for your Jesus. Do you obey Christ's commands?
Ben

Actually Ben, I did not write that......brother Frank

 2008/11/14 20:06









 Re:

appolus, will you forgive me?

I thought you were "brother Frank"
Who is Frank? It sounds like I might not be able to ask him my question.

Thank you,
Ben

 2008/11/14 20:31









 Re:

HI Ben

I am appolus and my name is Frank , one and the same :) My comment was that I did not write what you said that I had written. If you give me an actual quote then I would be glad to comment or answer a question on that....brother Frank

 2008/11/14 21:17









 Re:

Hi Frank :)
Did you write the parts that are not bible verses or were you quoting another writer?
Thanks,
Ben

 2008/11/14 21:27









 Re:

HI Ben....yes I did. If I did not write it I would have credited the "writer." When you write "appolus said," you have to quote what I said. When you re-arrange what someone said and put it back together again, it can often mis-represent what the author actually said. That is why it is important to actually quote. Does that make sense ?.........brother Frank

 2008/11/14 22:04





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