That We Should Be Holy

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:1-10 ESV)

The words spoken here are addressed to those who are the saints and the faithful in Christ Jesus. And a saint is a holy one, and to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because being conformed to the likeness of character of Christ Jesus, our Lord. This is of the Spirit of God and not of human flesh, but it involves our full cooperation with God’s work of grace in our lives as we submit to him as Lord, and as we surrender our lives to his will and purposes for our lives, and as we obey his commands.

[Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-32]

And the faithful are those who are full of faith which comes from God, is authored and perfected by Christ Jesus, and is gifted to us by God. It is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man so that we don’t brag that somehow we obtained our own salvation via our own fleshly good works. So we don’t even get to determine what this faith looks like. God does. And this faith is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from sin and obey God.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44]

Jesus Christ described those who are his true followers as those who deny self, die to sin daily, and who follow him in obedience to his commands. They are his sheep who listen to him, not just with their ears, but with their hearts and minds, with the intent to obey him, and then who obey him in his power, strength, and wisdom, by the grace of God. They are not those who merely profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips, but they are those who follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living, in God’s power.

[Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Titus 2:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23]

We are those blessed of God in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We are those whom God chose before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. We are those whom God predestined that we should be the children of God via faith in Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. And the purpose of his will is that we should deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of holiness and righteousness in obedience to his commands, in his power.

In him we have redemption through his blood. For Jesus Christ gave himself up for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery (addiction) to sin so that we would now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience and in surrender to his perfect will for our lives. So, by faith in him, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Acts 26:18]

Through God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in our Lord we are forgiven our sins and we are given the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. But we need to understand that biblical faith must be continuous, and biblical salvation is progressive sanctification. Biblical faith must be proved genuine through our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord in holy living. For, if sin is what we practice (our habit), we will NOT inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Jesus Christ that we profess with our lips.

[Matt 24:9-14; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:24; Rom 11:17-24; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; Gal 6:7-8; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 1:8-9; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 3:6,14-15; 1 Pet 1:5; 2 Pet 1:5-11; 2 Pet 2:20-22; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10]    

Trust and Obey  

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887

Music by Daniel B. Towner, 1887

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, 

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey. 

Not a shadow can rise, 

not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, 

not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, 

not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, 

not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove 

the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, 

for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet 

We will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, 

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB4KcleYiWM

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