Holiness Is The Proper Response

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14, NASB95)

Sometimes, life comes at you fast and hard. It can knock the wind out of you, assuming it doesn’t knock you prone. What do you do when life has knocked you to the ground, stripped the defence from you, and closes in for the kill?

As a martial artist long ago, we learned that you should keep fighting until you can no longer fight. That moment seems now to be upon you. What do you do?

Many individuals have come up with many different solutions. Some think alcohol or drugs will dull the pain, not realizing that these bring their own deadly problems with them. Others have tried food as a way of easing their pain, but gluttony is always accessible and brings its own issues. Some have tried relationships, and because sin abounds, so does the flesh and confusion, leading to no solutions at all.

Over the course of 40 years now, I have seen that only Jesus Christ can provide any relief and hope in the kind of troubles that life can bring. He does not promise worldly riches, or perfect health, or personal popularity. He promises His grace to all who will turn to Him, because He truly loves us. He does not love us like the world loves us, but by a willing choice, and in that choice, He extends to us a chance to trade places with Him, so to speak.

He offers those who will repent (change your mind and direction) of their evil and selfish acts (sin) and believe that He died in their place to pay the price for those evil actions of theirs an exchange: the mess we call lives for His righteous, perfect, and eternal life. Those who accept that exchange are cleansed of their sinful record and have their sins atoned for. Being justified before God in such a manner, such are made holy to stand in His august presence.

I ask again, what do you do when life comes at you bringing the suffering and pain we all face? With the knowledge of the above, I suggest that the only proper response is to humbly turn to Christ Jesus in faith and repentance to be made holy and able to stand in His presence by His grace alone.

I will not tell you what to do. You should do you. But understand that this grace from God Himself is a limited time offer.

11 “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. (Revelation 22:11–12, NASB95)

We do not know when this will be, but it will happen for all of us. Do not wait or hesitate to make that exchange for our sin for His holiness. It is the only proper response.