holiness – BradRiley.Org

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Colossians 3:12

When someone’s trying to tease you there’s a common response in our English language of, “You’re putting me on”. I never really understood that expression or how it got started. It’s a way of responding as if you were saying, “you’re teasing me, right?” I guess it was meant as a literal response. In other words, if I believe what the person is teasing me about, I’m putting on to myself to believe what he/she was saying, which of course would be silly since it must seem obvious he/she is joking.

However, when God tells us to, “Put on” the qualities of His character, He’s not joking. He really does mean that you and I can live as holy, and beloved people. St. Paul lists several adjectives to describe the character God wants each of us to live out; “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”. When you hear that list you might be saying to yourself, “You’re putting me on. I could never be all of those!” Believe me, God is not putting you on. He never asks us to be anything He won’t equip us to be.

When you look at this list of qualities that seems so daunting in our humanity, remember the Father has given us the Holy Spirit so that He can empower us to be as such. If it makes it any easier for you, try and think about this great list of attributes in one word – mercy. When we choose to be merciful to others we are being compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient. It really is all about mercy. When we let God’s waves of mercy flow through us, we take on the character of God, and that’s no joke.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to be all that you want me to be in my character. Teach me to put on your holiness by being merciful to others. Amen.

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For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Romans 6:14-15

Could there be a greater mercy from God than to deliver us from the dominion of sin? Some would say of course it is greater to have redeemed us. Perhaps. But still, redemption without deliverance is a difficult concept. The beautiful part of God’s plan of salvation was not just that he sent his Son to die for us, but rather that He has given us His Spirit that we might live free of sin’s grip.

St. Peter spoke of this miraculous giving of the Holy Spirit in his second epistle when he said, “…by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:4). It is an indescribable act of mercy that God allows us to participate in His divine nature. Think on that for a minute. Let it soak in.

Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, which comes to us in all of life in waves of mercy, we can live free of sin’s dark dominion. As children of God’s grace we are to live and walk in the light of His presence. We are not to sin, but rather choose holiness. Each of us has a choice every day whether to give into sin’s temptations or to just say “No”. And, it is by God’s mercy and grace that we are enabled to say “No”.

Have you experienced this divine participation in the nature of God? If not, you can. It is the privilege of every believer by His great promise. Just open up your heart and let the waves of His mercy overwhelm you.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Loving, Merciful Father, thank you for stooping to our level. For loving us so much that you give us a portion in your Spirit. May it be so in me today. Amen.

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Tag: holiness

You’re Putting Me On?

The Divine Portion