As I suspected yesterday, Paul was about to make a powerful statement about the Christian life. Here it is:
There isn’t any idea more powerful in Scripture for the convert than the idea of holiness. Simply put, it means that God forgave all our sins, so we are spotless. Then, He gave us the Holy Spirit who inhabits us in power, so that we are able to resist sin in the future, and we remain spotless. Paul is suggesting that the mature believer will pursue this holy behavior and not intentionally do wrong. (sin).
Paul knows that holy living cannot be separated from it’s base motivation, which is love. But he also knows that the believers already love deeply. So he mentions it, but doesn’t go into much detail. Paul isn’t saying that they have arrived. In fact, if any of the activities he mentions are still going on, they are far from holy. But you wouldn’t really feel that from the way Paul talks. He seems excited and proud of them…because they are still growing and thriving in spite of the opposition. I get the feeling that once they heard from Paul they would be encouraged to try even harder.
That’s so unlike our approach at times. We tend to point out ways that we fall short, nag and cajole…until others tune us out or walk away. Loving others so deeply that they want to do better is a radical idea. I don’t think you can fake that…you have to pray for God’s love to completely fill you and change you. A wise man once said that “you can’t lead others where you won’t go yourself”. I think that’s probably part two of the same thought.
Verse 11 deserves to be printed off and hung on everyone’s wall. I think that if we all paid attention to this, there wouldn’t be any politicians left…for several reasons.
Verses 13-18 share a great truth with us. These verses give us hope and knowledge of the future of the believer. There is some mystery about how we can be “with Jesus in Paradise” (as the thief on the cross was promised) or the “dead in Christ will rise first and then we will meet together in air. The point is the same regardless… one day all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be rewarded with entrance into eternity in heaven.
There’s so much more that we could discuss here….but the sun has come out this am…
Celebrating today,
PR