holiness

"When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
[Romans 6.20-23]

"What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
'I will make my dwelling among them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.'
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."
[2 Corinthians 6.16-7.1]

"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." [Hebrews 12.12-14]

my best thoughts lately have been on the topic of holiness. seeking to live a holy life myself, and desiring that other Christians seek the same. there are some things in life --our own lives, and the world in general-- that we can look at and just know for certain that those things are unholy, the opposite of anything holy, things that we should have nothing at all to do with, that directly negate the gospel. however, there are other things that may not be so clearly "unholy." actions. needs. desires. whatever. there may not be anything inherently bad about these things or our use or want of them-- we may not see these things as bringing any hurt to anyone or to ourselves-- they're not unholy... but we are not called to live lives devoid of unholy things but rather to live lives of holiness... so, we should not just rid ourselves of unholy things but also of anything that lacks holiness. (and, on the positive side, fill our lives with holy living.)

i talked with ryan about this some, and in a similar line of thought, it might help to add that it's not just about doing things that are not harmful, but doing only those things that are of benefit-- benefit to ourselves, to others, and most of all to the ministry of the gospel.

i think we should always be examining ourselves, and asking God to search us and know us, that we might discern those things we do or use or desire that lack holiness and that lack benefit.

our identity is in Christ. may we find that more and more true each day as we seek to be more like Him.

i'm so glad to have each of you in my life. and even though you are so close to me in my heart, and pictures of your smiling faces fill my house here in memphis, i find a glimpse of home when i'm with you, and it's hard to be away. there are times when i don't feel at all like myself when i'm here in memphis, and all i do is desire for the next chance to be where any of you are. while God has blessed me with a vision for the future that brings me back home, i also have to remember that He called me to memphis for this time, and i need to be faithful to that call as well. i struggle with being the person God has called me to be when i'm here, and i don't know why. if you feel led, pray for that.

this is a great place with a lot of unique opportunities. my job is a blessing and presents a great opportunity to minister by being present and positive. pray that i won't get caught up in the stress, drama, and craziness of business and that instead i'll remember that i'm called to be salt and light. pray that i'll take full advantage of the time i have alone to just soak up the beautiful presence of God without interruption. it's a rare thing to have an abundance of free time, and i waste it too often!

love you all.
-whit