True Holiness

Read Psalm 96:7-13

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!" (v. 9). God desires holiness for His people. "Be holy, for I am holy" is repeated several times in the Old Testament. And the apostle Peter used it in one of his letters (I Pet. 1:16). It means to be separated, unique and distinct.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit work together to lead us into a life of holiness. The cross of Jesus indicates that God wants us to be holy. On the cross Jesus died for our sins to make us holy, to bring us to God. The Holy Spirit within us urges us to a holy life by His power. The Word of God helps us grow in holiness. Jesus said to His Father, "Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17).

True holiness is beautiful; false holiness is not. The Pharisees had a false holiness--an artificial, manufactured piety. Jesus had true holiness, and He attracted people. The Pharisees repelled them. The fruit of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience and the rest--make for a beautiful life.

True holiness is beautiful, and this beauty comes from worship. Did you know that you become like what you worship? If your god is selfish, you become selfish. If your god is ugly, you become ugly. The person who worships money becomes hard. The person who worships pleasure becomes soft. But the person who worships the true and living God becomes beautiful--more and more like Christ.

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God has given you the necessary resources to live a holy life. Allow His Word to teach you and the Holy Spirit to guide you. Live so that you may become more like Christ.

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