Day 95

In John 17:17, Jesus said: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." You don't hear this taught much any more; the emphasis seems to be on "your best life now," or "your purpose driven life." The Gospel is portrayed as a huge band-aid for life. Having marital problems, come to Jesus; in money trouble, come to Jesus; feeling lonely, come to Jesus; need to get healed, come to Jesus. Jesus says to let the Word clean you while the modern church is looking at a benefits package instead of what it means to live the Gospel.

Albert Barnes NT Commentary said of this verse: "The Saviour prayed that through those just views of God and of themselves they might be made holy. To see things as they are is to see God to be infinitely lovely and pure; his commands to be reasonable and just; heaven to be holy and desirable; his service to be easy, and religion pleasant, and sin odious; to see that life is short, that death is near; that the pride, pomp, pleasures, wealth, and honours of this world are of little value, and that it is of infinite importance to be prepared to enter on the eternal state of being. He that sees all this, or that looks on things as they are, will desire to be holy."

My question today for you is, do you desire to be holy? If you do, how do you intend to be holy? How will you know what holiness is? How does one act "holy?" The answer to these questions are found in God's Word. God commands us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15) and the method of obtaining holiness is in the surrender of our ways to Him so that our desires and wants become His desires and wants (Romans 12:1-2). Today, meditate on the words of 1 Peter 1:15: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (i.e. "life")." You must look to Jesus to make you holy and not your own righteousness (remember your righteousness is filthy rags, see Isaiah 64:6). Don't despair, the journey continues tomorrow. Be encouraged as what He has commanded, He will make provision for its accomplishment.