Tag: Holiness

Adorned with Decadent Blasphemy

Revelation 17 introduces us to a woman clothed in fine garments, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, seated atop a scarlet beast. Her appearance is captivating, even alluring, but her opulence conceals her true nature. She is described as holding a golden cup filled with abominations and the impurities of her immorality. Beneath her glittering surface lies a heart filled with rebellion against God, proudly bearing the name “Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”

At first glance, her splendor is tempting—who wouldn’t be drawn to such wealth and power? But her outward beauty is a façade, disguising her inner corruption. This image challenges us to consider how the allure of worldly success, comfort, and luxury can distract us from what truly matters. How often do we chase after things that seem good on the surface but lead us away from God?

In our day-to-day lives, we face countless versions of this “adornment.” The pursuit of wealth, status, and approval can easily become our focus. These things may not be inherently wrong, but when they consume us—when they become idols—they lead us to compromise our faith. We may find ourselves justifying small lies, bending moral standards, or neglecting our relationship with God, all in the name of achieving something “beautiful.”

Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. What is shiny, appealing, or popular is not always godly. Like the woman riding the beast, the world often presents sin in attractive packaging. But as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 23:27, appearances can be deceiving: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

The call for us is to see through the glimmering lies of the world and recognize their true nature. Are we pursuing holiness, or are we settling for something adorned with decadent blasphemy? The answer lies in daily examining our hearts, our priorities, and the things we are chasing.

Revelation 17 ends with the woman’s downfall, a sobering reminder that worldly allurements are fleeting. Only God’s kingdom endures. As we navigate a culture that often prizes appearances and material wealth over truth and faithfulness, let’s anchor ourselves in Christ, who offers a beauty and a glory that will never fade.

Holy Like Him: Living Out Our Call to Be Set Apart

“As the one who called you is holy, you yourselves be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

This is not a casual suggestion. It’s a direct call, echoing Leviticus 19:2, where God commands His people to be holy because He is holy. It’s an invitation to reflect His character, to be set apart, distinct, and marked by His righteousness. But how do we live this out, and why does it matter?

Holiness often feels unattainable. We might picture it as perfection, a state we can never achieve, but that’s not the full story. Holiness is about alignment—aligning our lives, thoughts, and desires with God’s will. It’s less about flawless performance and more about being devoted to God, letting His Spirit transform us from the inside out.

Living out this call means being intentional in how we conduct ourselves, not conforming to the patterns of this world but being transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). It’s in the small, everyday choices: speaking truth instead of lying, showing kindness instead of retaliation, pursuing purity in a culture that celebrates indulgence. Holiness isn’t just about avoiding sin; it’s about actively pursuing God’s heart.

Why does this matter? First, it matters because God’s holiness defines who He is. To be His people means reflecting His nature. Our lives are meant to point others to Him, and holiness is the light that shines through us. Second, it matters because holiness brings freedom. Sin enslaves, but holiness liberates us to live as we were created to. Third, it matters because it’s a foretaste of eternity. In heaven, we will dwell with God in perfect holiness; here on earth, we begin that journey now.

This call isn’t easy, but it isn’t one we bear alone. God doesn’t ask us to muster holiness from our own strength. He equips us through His Word, His Spirit, and His grace. As Peter reminds us, we have been born again through the living and enduring Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). This new birth empowers us to grow in holiness, craving the pure milk of the Word so we may mature in our faith (1 Peter 2:2).

The call to holiness is not a burden but a privilege. It’s an invitation to draw near to God, to be transformed by His presence, and to reflect His glory in the world. Today, let’s ask ourselves: In what ways can I align my heart and actions with His holiness? Where do I need to surrender and let His Spirit work in me?

“You shall be holy, because I am holy.” It’s not just a command—it’s our identity as children of the living God.

Spiritual Adultery

James doesn’t pull any punches. When he calls out his audience for their divided loyalties, he labels it plainly: “Adulterers!” (James 4:4). This isn’t a gentle nudge toward improvement; it’s a wake-up call. Why such strong language? Because spiritual adultery isn’t a minor slip. It’s a betrayal of covenant love, a heart chasing after other gods while claiming to belong to the one true God.

James ties this adultery to friendship with the world, which he describes as enmity with God. This isn’t about living on earth or enjoying its good gifts; it’s about adopting the world’s values—self-promotion, greed, pride, and the rejection of God’s authority. To align ourselves with these things is to declare allegiance to a system actively opposed to God.

A friend of mine used to talk about the homeless and drug-addicted people living in Vancouver’s downtown east side. She would say (to paraphrase), “These people didn’t wake up one day and decide to get addicted to drugs or live in a box in the alley. It was one choice. One compromise. One bad decision that led to another and another and another, and slowly but insidiously sin took over their lives. That’s why we need to plant our feet carefully with each step we take.” This sobering reality illustrates how small compromises can spiral into devastating consequences, drawing our hearts further from the One who made us for Himself.

The good news is that God doesn’t leave us in our unfaithfulness. James reminds us in the very next verses that God gives greater grace (James 4:6). The solution isn’t despair but repentance. Humility brings us back into alignment with God, confessing our divided hearts and choosing once again to walk in step with Him.

Jesus calls us to undivided love: “No one can serve two masters. You will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). The question is, where does your loyalty lie? Are you cultivating intimacy with Christ, or are you flirting with the world?

True joy comes from wholehearted devotion. God is jealous for your love, not because He needs it, but because He knows that only in Him will you find life. Turn to Him today. The grace that calls you back is the grace that will sustain you.

A Life That Honors God

In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul writes, “For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects — bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God” (NET).

Paul’s prayer reveals a critical connection between knowing God and living for Him. He petitions for the believers in Colossae to be filled with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding—attributes that aren’t just intellectual but deeply spiritual. This knowledge isn’t for personal pride or theoretical debate; it’s meant to result in lives that honor God.

A deeper understanding of God’s will shapes our choices, guiding us to live in ways that reflect His character. When Paul says “live worthily of the Lord”, he envisions a life aligned with God’s desires—a life marked by good deeds, steady growth in faith, and a pursuit of holiness. Knowledge that doesn’t transform our actions is incomplete; true wisdom moves us to love, serve, and glorify God in all we do.

But this transformation isn’t automatic. It requires effort, prayer, and submission. We live in a world that tempts us to pursue knowledge for personal gain or social validation, yet Paul reminds us that God’s wisdom is countercultural. It equips us to bear fruit—not for applause or recognition, but as evidence of His work in us.

Consider how this plays out in daily life. When we encounter difficult situations, spiritual wisdom helps us discern a response that reflects Christ’s love. When tempted to prioritize fleeting goals, understanding God’s will redirects us to eternal purposes. The knowledge Paul prays for isn’t merely academic; it’s practical, life-giving, and glorifying to God.

As we seek to grow in knowledge and wisdom, let us do so with the goal of living lives that honor Him. May our thoughts, words, and actions reflect a deep understanding of His will, and may we bear fruit that pleases Him in every good work.

To Judge or Not to Judge

The phrase “Judge not, lest ye be judged” has become a cultural catchphrase, often used to discourage any form of moral discernment. Yet in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul offers a strikingly different perspective, reminding us that judging is not only appropriate in some contexts—it’s necessary. Paul tells the Corinthian church to cast out a brother engaging in blatant and unrepentant sin, saying, “For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside?” (1 Corinthians 5:12, NET).

Paul’s teaching here clarifies a common misconception. Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1 aren’t a blanket prohibition against all judgment but a warning against hypocritical and self-righteous judgment. We’re called to examine our own hearts before addressing sin in others (Matthew 7:3–5). Paul builds on this, differentiating between judging outsiders—those who don’t claim to follow Christ—and judging those within the church who profess faith but live in open rebellion against God’s commands.

This kind of judgment isn’t about condemnation but restoration. The goal of church discipline, as harsh as it may seem, is redemptive. By removing the immoral brother, the church sends a clear message that sin cannot be tolerated in the community of believers, while also creating space for repentance and reconciliation. Paul writes, “Deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5).

In a world that often prioritizes tolerance over truth, this passage challenges us to embrace a higher standard of love—one that doesn’t ignore sin but confronts it for the sake of holiness. It also reminds us to leave ultimate judgment of the ungodly to God, who judges with perfect justice and mercy.

Are there areas where you’ve avoided addressing sin because it feels uncomfortable or counter-cultural? Paul’s words urge us to be bold yet humble, seeking restoration and standing firm in the truth of the Gospel.

Rites, Rituals, or Relationship?

The vision given to Peter in Acts 10 was a pivotal moment that fundamentally changed the understanding of righteousness within the early Christian community. Peter’s vision didn’t just signal a shift in dietary laws or the inclusion of Gentiles; it marked a transformative shift in what it means to be right with God. No longer was righteousness about a series of rites and rituals or strict adherence to cleanliness laws. Instead, it became about redemption—a new covenant founded on grace, received through faith, and evidenced by the overflow of good deeds as a response to God’s love.

Peter’s initial reaction in Acts 10, where he recoils from the idea of eating anything “impure,” represents his ingrained adherence to the Law as the means to holiness. But God responds by shifting his perspective: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15). This response encapsulates the gospel’s transformative power, a shift from “do this to be clean” to “you are clean; go and live it.” The moment Peter understood that no external act of cleanliness or ritual was needed to enter into right standing with God, it opened the door to something remarkable—a new motivation for good works rooted in gratitude rather than obligation.

Under the old covenant, a person’s deeds were often driven by a sense of duty. Rites and rituals maintained a relationship with God, but it was a relationship heavily weighted by the need to maintain purity and fulfill ceremonial obligations. In Christ, however, we’re given a different foundation: the righteousness of Christ. Our standing is secure because Jesus accomplished what we could not; He was the “once for all” sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). This assurance allows us to perform good works as an act of devotion and gratitude, rather than as a duty imposed by law.

The beauty of this reversal lies in the order: we’re not working our way to holiness, but rather, we’re invited to let holiness work in us and through us. Paul writes about this transformation in Ephesians 2:10, saying, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In other words, good works are the fruit of our relationship with God, not the root.

Peter’s encounter led him to a new way of seeing both God and people. The call to holiness was no longer an isolated adherence to the rules, but an invitation to reflect God’s love to all people, Jew and Gentile alike. When he declares in Acts 10:34-35, “God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right,” it’s a revelation: holiness has been redefined. Relationship—not ritual—takes precedence, and our lives become expressions of this connection.

Today, it’s easy to slip into a mindset where we still feel that “being right with God” is something we have to maintain by doing enough, serving enough, or sacrificing enough. But Jesus already accomplished the “enough.” Instead, we’re called to let His redemption flow outward, so that our deeds become acts of gratitude. This order reversal isn’t just freeing; it’s empowering. We no longer need to strive to make ourselves right with God but are free to let His righteousness transform us and touch the lives of others.

The gospel has always been about a journey from ritual to relationship, from rule-following to redemption. Through Peter’s vision, we’re reminded that in Christ, our acts of love and service are not attempts to earn God’s favor; they’re joyful responses to a favor already given. As we live out our faith, may we remember that we are free to serve, free to love, and free to walk in holiness—not as a way to reach God but as the beautiful outworking of having already been reached by His grace.

Accidental Righteousness? I Don’t Think So

In Haggai 2, the prophet speaks to the remnant of Israel after their return from exile, addressing their efforts to rebuild the temple. In verses 10–19, God uses a powerful illustration to make a point about purity and defilement. He asks the priests whether holiness can be transferred through mere contact, and the answer is no. But when He asks if defilement can spread through touch, the answer is yes. The message is clear: sin easily defiles, but righteousness doesn’t simply “rub off” on others.

This context is vital to understanding the heart of Haggai’s message. The people had returned from exile and were working on restoring the temple, but their hearts were still not fully aligned with God. Despite their physical efforts, their spiritual state mattered most. The external work they were doing wouldn’t make them righteous before God if their hearts remained impure. Sin, like a disease, contaminates easily, and their efforts—while good—couldn’t cleanse them of their sinful tendencies.

For us today, the application is profound. Sin spreads easily in our lives. It creeps in through the smallest cracks—our thoughts, attitudes, habits, and relationships. It doesn’t take much for our hearts to be tainted by pride, anger, jealousy, or selfishness. Righteousness, however, is not something that happens accidentally or passively. It requires intentional pursuit and devotion to God. Just as the Israelites couldn’t rely on the temple to make them holy, we can’t assume that simply attending church or reading the Bible without engagement will make us righteous.

We are fertile ground for sin, and it is our default state unless we actively seek God and allow His Spirit to transform us. The world around us often promotes values and behaviors that can easily defile our hearts and minds, and if we aren’t careful, those influences can take root. But righteousness requires effort. It demands that we choose, day by day, to walk in obedience to Christ, to reject sin, and to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.

God’s grace is what enables us to pursue righteousness, but it doesn’t remove the need for effort. We must be intentional in our pursuit of holiness, knowing that it is by God’s power, not our own, that we grow in righteousness. Like the Israelites rebuilding the temple, we need to focus not only on the external aspects of our faith but also on the condition of our hearts. We must be vigilant, always seeking to uproot sin and replace it with the righteousness that comes through Christ.

Going Through the Motions? The Call to True Holiness

During today’s reading, I was struck by how the people of Israel seemed to treat the temple and its associated rituals as mere routines, missing the deeper significance. This echoes God’s command to His people in Leviticus 19:2: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” The call to holiness means being set apart—distinct from the common, the mundane, the profane. Holiness is not simply about following rituals, but about embodying the character of God Himself.

The people of Israel had fallen into the trap of ritualism—going through the motions without grasping the essence of what it meant to be in relationship with a holy God. Ezekiel’s temple vision is a stark reminder of this. The very structure, the detailed measurements, and the specific instructions all scream one thing: God’s holiness demands reverence. The temple was not just a building; it was the dwelling place of the Almighty, and everything about it was designed to reflect His uncommon nature.

Holiness isn’t just about external actions but about the condition of the heart. The rituals were meant to point to something deeper—God’s character and His call for His people to be set apart from the world. The Israelites were not simply to look different from the nations around them; they were to embody the nature of the God they served. And that same call extends to us today.

As Christians, it’s easy to fall into the same trap. We can go through the motions—attending church, reading the Bible, saying prayers—without really engaging with the holiness of God. The routines and rituals of our faith can become just that: routine. But God calls us to live uncommon lives, to be set apart for His purposes. Holiness is not something we achieve by ticking boxes or performing rituals. It’s a transformation that takes place when we allow God’s Spirit to shape us into the image of Christ.

So what does that mean for us today? First, we must recognize that holiness is not optional. Just as God’s people were called to be distinct, we are called to be salt and light in a world that often looks very different from God’s Kingdom. Second, we need to reflect on our own lives and consider whether we’ve reduced our relationship with God to a series of rituals or whether we are truly engaging with His presence. Lastly, being uncommon means living with purpose, showing the world that there is something different about those who follow Christ—not because of anything we do, but because of who He is.

Holiness is not about being perfect; it’s about being set apart for a purpose. Let’s embrace that calling today.

Why God’s Perfect Plan Can Bring Us Shame—and Healing

In Ezekiel 43:10-11, God commands the prophet to share the vision of the temple with His people, saying, “Describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins.” This might seem strange at first—why would the description of something as beautiful as God’s temple cause shame? The answer lies in what the temple represents. In its perfection, holiness, and divine order, the temple was a physical reminder of God’s standards for His people. It was a blueprint not only for worship but for life—a life that Israel had strayed from.

The vision of the temple in Ezekiel contrasts sharply with Israel’s disobedience, idolatry, and neglect of their covenant with God. They had defiled the first temple with their sin, and as a result, it was destroyed. Now, as Ezekiel presents the plan for a new, perfect temple, the people are confronted with how far they’ve fallen from God’s design. In that moment, the shame they feel isn’t meant to be a crushing weight of guilt—it’s a pathway to repentance. God isn’t showing them the temple to condemn them but to lead them back into right relationship with Him.

For us, this principle still holds. When we come face-to-face with God’s standards, His holiness, and His perfect design for our lives, it can often bring a sense of shame. We realize how much we’ve fallen short, how we’ve allowed sin or neglect to creep into our lives. But just like with Israel, God doesn’t reveal this to condemn us. He reveals it to call us back to Him. The shame we feel is not the end; it’s the beginning of healing and restoration. In our brokenness, God invites us into something better—a life aligned with His will, full of grace, forgiveness, and transformation.

When we encounter God’s perfect plan—whether through Scripture, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, or even the example of others living out their faith—it can bring a mixture of emotions. We may feel unworthy or ashamed of where we are. But take heart: God reveals these things because He loves us and wants to restore us. Just as He promised Israel a new temple and a fresh start, He offers us newness in Christ. The shame we feel is not a burden to carry but a catalyst for turning back to God. In Him, we find forgiveness, restoration, and the power to live as He intended.

Perverting Worship

Worship is more than singing songs or performing rituals; it is the expression of our reverence, love, and obedience to God. True worship is rooted in the recognition of God’s holiness, majesty, and authority. It involves aligning our hearts and actions with God’s will, living in a way that honors Him.

In Ezekiel 8, we see a vivid example of how Israel perverted worship. God gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple in Jerusalem, where idolatrous practices were being conducted in secret. The people had turned the temple, the very place dedicated to God’s holy presence, into a house of idols. The leaders and priests, who were supposed to guide the people in true worship, were themselves engaged in corrupt practices. They thought they could hide their sins, saying, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land” (Ezekiel 8:12, NLT). But God did see, and He was grieved by how they had desecrated His sanctuary.

This passage serves as a warning to us today. While we may not bow to physical idols, we can still fall into the trap of idolatry. Anything that takes the place of God in our lives—whether it be success, money, relationships, or even religious traditions—can become an idol. We must be vigilant in examining our hearts and our worship practices to ensure that they are truly centered on God.

Jesus emphasized that true worshipers will worship the Father in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NLT). This means our worship must be sincere, coming from a heart that is fully devoted to God, and it must be in accordance with His truth as revealed in Scripture. Let us strive to keep our worship pure and focused on God alone, avoiding the mistakes of Israel by not allowing anything to corrupt our devotion to Him.