Believers are called to holy living. This is the clear teaching of the Bible.
Throughout this blog series, we have considered the question:
“How then does the believer cultivate holiness?”
The first way is to know and love Scripture.
Second, we should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ.
Third, we should repent daily.
Fourth, we also cultivate holiness through prayer and work.
Fifth, we flee all worldliness.
Sixth, we seek fellowship in the church.
Finally, commit completely to God.
Live present-tense, total commitment to God. Form habits of holiness. Pursue harmony and symmetry in holy living. Root out all inconsistencies, by the grace of the spirit, and enjoy godly activities.
Don’t fall prey to the “one-more-time” syndrome. Postponed obedience is disobedience. Tomorrow’s holiness is impurity now. Tomorrow’s faith is unbelief now. Aim not to sin at all (1 John 2:1); ask for divine strength to bring every thought into captivity to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5), for Scripture indicates that our “thought-lives” ultimately reflect our character: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7a). An old proverb says it this way: Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.
Jerry S. says
June 29, 2013 at 9:04 amWithout the shedding of blood to death there is no holiness (or remission of sin) achieved as far as the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is concerned, Hbr 9 HNV. Any attempt to “cultivate holiness” apart from that is presumptuous at best.
J.
P.s. Hbr 9:16-17 HNV is a poor translation of the word “diathēkē” especially when it’s translated as “covenant” in the preceding and following verses, even HNV is susceptible to tradition.