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Living
a Holy Life
5
Benefits of Living a Holy Life
by Kathy
Would you like to sit
next to God and snuggle up against His side? To be so close you could hear Him
breathe?
There would be no
distance between the two of you, no barriers to prevent you from drawing near.
You could linger in His presence and rest in the circle of His embrace.
All of us desire to
experience this kind of intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. Yet, we
often feel disconnected. We may even sense that something blocks our path to
deep, personal companionship with God.
According to Scripture, a
life of holiness can pave the way for greater intimacy in our relationship with
God.
King
David, described as a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22), understood the connection between a holy life and experiencing
God’s presence.
“Who
may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy
hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth
from sincere hearts.” Psalm 15:1-2, NLT
Unholy living floods
believers’ lives with the natural consequences of sin, including distance and
strain in our relationships with God. But a pursuit of holiness is also a
pursuit of God.
As we embrace the holy
life God calls us to, we are embraced by the Holy One Himself.
“Holiness” is often
misunderstood. Many believers think living a holy life is just too hard. Or too
boring. Or simply undesirable.
They recognize the truth
that God commands His children to be holy and want to please Him, but life gets
in the way.
Others compare themselves
to the Christians around them and think they’re doing pretty good. But God
doesn’t call us to “pretty good.” His holiness is
our standard (1 Peter 1:16).
Jesus died so we could be
holy.
If we
belong to Jesus, we are a “new creation,” a “new self, created to be like
God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).
Holiness is for our good
and God’s glory!
Sound like an
overwhelming, daunting, impossible task? Humanly speaking it is.
But whatever God requires
of His children, He also supplies. God requires holiness, but His Spirit
provides the power to turn away from sin.
God calls us to holiness
and God provides what we need to be holy.
5 Benefits of Holiness
1.
Holiness fosters intimacy with God and builds spiritual strength and stability (Psalm 15:1-6)
2.
Holiness makes us useful and effective for God’s
purposes (2 Timothy 2:20-26)
3.
Holiness in your life causes people around you to glorify God (1 Peter 2:9-12)
4.
Holiness builds peace with God (2 Peter 3:10-18)
5.
Holiness pleases God and produces “fruit” (Ephesians 5:1-17)
And those 5 benefits are
just the beginning of how God blesses a holy life!
God calls us to holiness
so we can be set free from the bondage and consequences of our own sin.
God also knows that a
holy life paves the way for deep intimacy with Him (Psalm 15:1-2).
Holiness sets us free and
draws us close to God!
Holiness in God’s people
also brings Him glory.
When we live holy lives,
we reflect God’s character to the world. We become lights in a dark world that
lead the way to the Savior.
Holiness. For our good.
For God’s glory.
How have you thought about
holiness in the past? Have you thought a holy life was too hard? Simply
undesirable?
Would love to hear your
thoughts!
About Kathy
Kathy has been teaching the
Bible since she fell in love with God’s Word almost 30 years ago. She speaks regularly
at women’s retreats and events across the United States and internationally.
The author of eight books, including five Bible studies, Kathy writes to
have something to do while she eats chocolate and drinks coffee. She has a
Masters in Christian Education and a certificate in women’s ministry from the
Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary.
In recent years, God has been
teaching Kathy more about His abundant grace. Through her own relationships and
life experiences, she is learning to extend the grace God has so lavishly
poured out on her own life.
On a personal level, Kathy
calls herself a “confused southerner.” Raised in Louisiana, she has moved with
her engineer husband around the U.S. and Canada. She says “pop” instead of
“Coke” and “you guys” as often as “ya’ll.” But she’s still a southern girl at
heart!
Kathy and her husband now live
in north Texas. They have three children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law,
four precious grandsons, and one tiny diva granddaughter. When the family gets
together there are also five dogs in the mix.
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