The ancient Kingdom message spread, took root, and completely overwhelmed a pagan empire in less than 300 years. Our modern Christianity, with all our great prosperity and multitudes of Christians, the growing godlessness of our culture, it is easy to conclude ... we are losing.

There are various keys to victory that we have thrown away.

Even though we are clearly and often told to be holy, because our God is holy, and we are told to seek righteousness first, still, we consider personal holiness and purity as an option.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Christ raised the standards, not lowered them. Don't murder? Don't commit adultery? He said don't even hate, don't even feel lust.

How often are those mocked who teach that we should attain holiness? We can through verses at each other endlessly. But Ezekiel stated the essence of the New Covenant with unmistakable clarity:

Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,
20 so that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

The purpose of our new spirit and new heart is to walk in His statutes and ordinances, to fulfill them, and not to constantly excuse our failure and get easy forgiveness that requires no cost or effort.

Lets purpose to walk that road. Eternal Blessings

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Robert Sands

A good word. Thank you.

That's true, although I didn't quite understand the title.

The holiness or righteousness we are to walk in (now) is from the Lord.

He is our righteousness.

It's only when we die (now, not physically) and trust in Him, that He raises us to a new life of holiness and love in Christ.

(Credit to Zac Poonen for the thought that He raises us, we don't raise ourselves).

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Andrew Wales