Holiness

1 Peter 1:16  You must be holy because I am holy.

In the "Set Apart" study, this verse is described as not just a command but also as a promise of God.

Once again, God confirmed this to me in a separate teaching.  As I was running (if you can call my pokey pace running) this morning, I was listening to a Joyce M podcast and  the verse that came up was:

1 Peter 2:9  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a HOLY nation, God's very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness and into His wonderful light. 

Well the Holy Spirit light bulb went off in my head, as He linked these 2 verses together.  Like links in a chain or pieces in a puzzle it all seemed to just fit.  A promise and a declaration of holiness from the Lord, for His people.  The Lord not only promises us holiness, He declares it to be so.

This visit came at a time when I once again was beating myself up over the seeming lack of progress in my Christian walk (I guess my pace is slow there too!! I am sensing a pattern here!!).   I feel like I fight (or sometimes not, unfortunately) and struggle with the same sins and character flaws day after day seeing little growth or betterment.  I think sometimes I am at the same spot on the narrow road as I was a year ago, and the year before that and the year before that....

As I write this the Jesus reminds me that it is His shed blood that makes me holy, set apart for Himself.  And God promises and declares that He will bring my life into alignment with that truth.  Remember:  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue HIS work until it is finally finished on the day that Christ Jesus returns--Phil 1:6

Thank You Lord for conviction of sin and the comfort of knowing that You are still working on me, never giving up.  It is You working out the details in me so that I may portray Your holiness to the world around me.  Thank You for the visit, reassuring me of Your promises and declaring over me Your holiness.  Let Your people rejoice in Your holiness.