Our Holiness Journey
We serve a God who tells us to "Be holy, as I am holy." (I Peter 1:16) Many people have lived lives of even temper, good disposition, loving their friends and family and being overall just nice. People who are like this may have trouble seeing their need for God. If being nice is what Christianity is all about, well they already have that. For others who have struggled with sin all their lives, who perhaps weren't very pleasant people, or maybe weren't viewed as nice, those are often the people who see their need for a Savior sooner than the nice folks do.
These Knew Their Need
These are the very people that Jesus surrounded Himself with. Jesus was mocked for hanging out with tax collectors, prostitutes and other undesirables. Yet these are the very people who quickly saw their need for a Savior. They wanted to be changed. They wanted God to write His word on their heart that they might not sin against Him. Jesus says this in Luke 7:47
"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
God Wants Us To Be Holy
God works on us to grow more and more Christlike. (See more on becoming like Christ here.) Often, we believe that once those big sins are gone, that God's work is done, but in fact it is barely beginning. We may be satisfied to be "nicer" people but God has a vision for us much greater than the one we have for ourselves. He wants us to "put on Christ" (Romans 13:14). He wants us to become holy.
Don't Relax
Maybe sometimes when we become better people, we think to ourselves, "Ah now, I can relax because life will be smoother. I have become a nicer person so God does not have to hand me anymore unpleasant or trying circumstances from which I can grow. My growth is done." But no, God still has us undergo tests and trials, God still has more for us. God will always have more for us to learn about Him and His nature. God will always want us to be more like his Son.
There Is A River
There is a curious chapter in Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel has a vision of water flowing from the temple of God—a river of living water. This living water first comes up to Ezekiel's ankles, then as he goes further it is to his knees and as he continues the water is finally so high he begins to swim. He is not disturbed or afraid by this. It is just a matter of fact. This vision has been interpreted both literally and symbolically.
A Work In Progress
When we first come to God we are changed, we become new creatures and yet we are a work in progress. We see small steps in our lives towards holiness. Like Ezekiel's symbolic living water going up to our ankles, but as our life continues the progress continues. The living water is now to our knees. We see more and more of our life taken over by the Holy Spirit of God, changing us and transforming us. Finally we are in these living waters so deep that we swim. They surround us and make us holy creatures.
Water of Life
In John 7:38 Jesus promises that when we believe in Him, rivers of living water will flow from us. The water of life that He blesses us with will be something that we share with others around us. They will see Him in us. This is us becoming a new creation in action. The waters of life don't just save us, but they will help others through us, as well.
The Holy Spirit Is Our Teacher
Like a loving Father watching their child learn to walk, God is ever so patient, loving and forgiving. He doesn't expect this transformation to be complete overnight. (For more on a transformed life click here.) When we have set backs, when we fall back into our old ways, He gives us strength to stand up and try again. Jesus promises in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit will "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." How blessed we are to have such a patient teacher.
Never Enough
We have to be careful not to be complacent. We should never just stop at our ankle-deep water. We should allow God to change us as much as possible during this life. His vision of what we can do with our lives for His kingdom is so much richer than anything we can imagine. We are all being changed (2 Corinthians 5:17). Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking that the change you see is enough.
Nice But Still Needy
For people who have been born with a nicer disposition than others, or who feel less temptation to do bad things, be grateful to the God who made you this way, but also recognize that you too need a Savior. You too, even after accepting Him in faith, need to grow and become more like Him. All of us need to examine ourselves to understand what God would have us change (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Be Gracious To Each Other
As Christians we are all on a journey to holiness. Each one of us is in a different place than our neighbors. We need to take this journey and be gracious to others. Maybe we aren't all as nice as we should be, maybe we aren't all as changed as we should be, but as we take up our own individual crosses and follow Christ, we are all being changed, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). As the NIV translation puts it,
"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
Enjoy, "There is a River" by the Gaither Vocal Band here.
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