Hi, my name is Jordan Morris with Together In The Harvest Ministries and this is God Today. Today I want to share with you a subject that is the dearest thing to my heart. Something I have preached about, contended for, and earnestly sought God for in my life and that is holiness. I believe that it is a message that, actually in the church today, is a dying message. If I could be very honest with you today. It is something that we have resorted to history books. We read about the Wesleys, Spurgeons, and all these men of God – and they were holiness preachers. But, we’ve adopted today a culture that settles to please people rather than give them truth.
1 Peter says this, “Be holy for I am holy.” When I read that I do not hear a suggestion if I can be very honest with you today. I hear a command. I do not believe God is somebody who would give us a command if we are not able to fulfill that command. When the blood of Jesus was shed on the cross it not only washed your sin but empowered us to live without sin also. I love what Jude writes in his book. He says, “Not to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling.” That means that Jesus is the one who can keep you from falling into that sin you fell into so long in your life. You say, ‘Well, preacher where do you get that from?” I go to the Word of God to find my standard. I do not find a standard of holiness from the world or the culture. Because you will always try and fall into the world’s pattern. If you do not find who you are in Christ the world will tell you who you are meant to be. That’s why I go to the Word of God to find my standard.
Now, the Word is not a book, the Word is a person. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The Word of God is Jesus Himself. He is our standard that we are to live to and He is the standard which we are to please as well. “Be holy for I am holy.” It is not a suggestion but a command. Holiness should be a pursuit for all of us in our lives. That we understand that when we live in holiness it is a drawing close to Jesus that brings us close to His heart also. He desires of us and He knows what it can do to our lives. Sin is a penalty that will send you to hell, but holiness is a standard that we can live to that when we are called to be like Jesus we are to look at Him and behold the very image we want to be drawn into.
Let me pray for you today. Father, I pray right now for these precious viewers. That, Holy Spirit, I pray that you will put a burden in our hearts to live in holiness as you did Jesus. Lord, you would never give us a command that we were not able to keep. And Lord, as your word says, “To Him who is able to keep us from stumbling.” Holy Spirit, I pray that you would keep these precious viewers today. In your arms of safety that we will know that we are living in a life of holiness before you and that we would know we are not drawn in sin but able to live in holiness as you are holy. In your precious name, Jesus. Amen.