I am still thinking about holiness. I hope and pray you read my past two blogs regarding this topic, namely holiness.
God is holy means, He is different, separate, a class by Himself!
And this “separate” God, separate and different from His creation, is inviting or I will say, calling us to be holy saying,
“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2 ESV (cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16)
God is calling me to be holy in the finished work of Christ. Christ’s righteousness is mine now. But how does this “be holy” works in me, me who has countless weaknesses, flaws and shortcomings for which I still kneel down before God and seek His mercy?
“The kingdom of God is here,” the Bible says. And “the kingdom of God will come and be established” (Luke 7:21; Revelation 21). Both of these statements are true.
Today, God’s Kingdom is in us, in you and me who strive to follow Christ.
Okay but what does His kingdom do in us?
Fighting against other so called “kingdoms” so it reigns in our lives without any competitors.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in His wonderful book, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount,” writes, “The kingdom is primarily something ‘within you’. It is that which governs and controls the heart and mind and outlook.”
Which kingdom governs our hearts?
When we pray, we say,
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 ESV
For God’s will to be done in us, His Kingdom has to win our hearts. His Kingdom represented by His word. When His word takes precedence in our hearts, His will be done in us and through us.
So the question we need to ask ourselves often is this: Is God establishing His Kingdom in us or are other so called “gods” or “idols” establishing their kingdoms in us?
We don’t need to go far to find the answer to this question.
What is the joy of our soul? What makes our heart skip a bit? What gives us comfort so we love life?
Whatever answer we get shows the kingdom we are governed by.
Oh, oh, May God help us all to see this clearly so we pray saying, “Abba Father, let Your kingdom come and govern our lives” as we strive to read, study, meditate and live out His word. ///