How do you feel when you think about God’s holiness?

Do you feel defeated, like you’ll never measure up?

Do you feel distanced from him, as though your imperfections make him sick?

Or do you feel drawn in by him, inspired to be holy because God is holy?

As believers, we’re called to be holy. But we can’t live up to that standard by ourselves. We need God’s presence to be holy. We need God’s power to be holy. We need God’s character, coursing through our thoughts, our words, our lives.

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Friends, we are the bride of Christ, and one of the primary ways we practice holiness is in how we view our bodies and our sexuality. In 1 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul addresses the issue of sexual immorality within the church, clear in his message that we can’t tolerate unrepentant sin among our members. Paul’s instruction to “hand this man over to Satan” (1 Corinthians 5:5) may seem harsh, but it underscores the seriousness of maintaining holiness within the church. This action is meant to lead the sinner to repentance and ultimately restore him or her to the fellowship.

I hope you caught that: the goal of Paul’s position here is to help us when we sin to find our way back to God.

Think about how your life changed when you first decided to follow Jesus. You probably experienced transformation, right? Your behaviors, attitudes, and desires started to align more closely with God’s will as you began to grow in your faith.

This is as it should be!

Believers are called to be “peculiar” and to stand out from the world. Our lives should reflect the values of the kingdom of God, not those of the culture. This includes our social media posts, our conversations, and our overall conduct. We’re to demonstrate that we have been sanctified—called out for the purpose of becoming more like Jesus.

By our words and actions, we can show the world that we are taking up our cross daily, repenting of our sins, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. We should demonstrate that we’re in this deal for the long haul, actively participating with God. We can show that as the Church, we are supporting each other in this journey, not condemning, but building up.

I hope you’re going all-in with God today. I really do. There is no better plan for your life than that one!

Here’s a way to start:

  1. Examine your life. Ask yourself if your life has changed since you decided to follow Jesus. Are there areas where you need to repent and seek transformation?
  2. Pursue holiness. Reflect on areas of your life that need to align more closely with God’s holiness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in purity and righteousness.
  3. Support other believers. Be a source of encouragement and support for fellow believers who are struggling. Pray for them and offer practical help.

I love you.
God loves you.
Let’s keep pressing on.

Pastor Brady

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