Monday, November 8, 2021

Choose Holiness

 

[Photo of two paths diverging]


“As obedient children, do not conform to the
evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”
—1 Peter 1:14

The way we live our lives is a series of choices. We actually make many choices each day. Most of those choices are relatively routine. And, almost all of those choices don’t really have serious consequences.

But certain choices we make reveal whether we intend to follow our own selfish human will, or whether we have consciously and purposefully decided to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to surrender our individual wills to God’s perfect will.

The Apostle Peter offered this counsel found in 1 Peter 1:13-16:

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

The pathway of obedience—bending our selfish human will to God’s perfect will, as enabled by the Holy Spirit—reaps great rewards. In fact, this kind of obedience is the only thing God requires us to do, in order to show our love for Him and our gratitude for all of the gracious gifts He has chosen to give us.

Let’s choose holiness this day. It’s a much better pathway than the one we might naturally choose on our own.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Copyright © 2021 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.