A Life Of Holiness; Be Holy!

June 26, 2025

A Life Of Holiness; Be Holy!

I want to be something more than I am today.  It’s not that I don’t like my life or like me.  Nor is it because I am discontent or disappointed. 

On the contrary, my life is filled with God’s blessings, the love of Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  My family is loving, my friends are trustworthy, and my church is Christ-centered.

I have a good life!  But, I want something more than I am today.  I want more of what the Apostle Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit.  In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul writes; “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” 

I have a good life, but I want a better life.  My life becomes better when the Holy Spirit produces in me each of the “fruit” Paul mentions in Galatians.  Those “fruit” are produced in me when I do my best to live a life of holiness after the example of Jesus.

In I Peter 1:14-16 Peter writes; “Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.  Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

Peter cautions us about conforming to the worlds desires.  It is a warning to not become complacent with the desires and schemes and solutions of the world.  It is wise counsel to avoid being too comfortable with the way things are when God has a greater dream for our life.

The call is to live a different kind of life…a life filled with love and joy and peace; a life filled with patience and kindness and generosity; a life filled with faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.  The call is to live a life of holiness after the example of Jesus.    

In the last few weeks, I have reminded us that living a life of holiness begins with three practices.

+Prepare your mind to think differently and do something new.

+Engage in a disciplined life that the Holy Spirit can use to produce lasting fruit.

+Place all your hope in God’s grace in you and love for you.

Now Peter tells us to not be conformed to the world.  In other words, we choose to live the kind of life that is different than the values of the world.  We commit to live a life of holiness because we follow God who is holy.

Peter says; “Instead…be holy yourselves in all your conduct.”  At some point, a life of holiness is more than Bible study or prayer or worship or theological conversation.  Peter is clear that living a life of holiness is about being holy; living a life of holiness is about all our conduct. 

In other words, living a life of holiness is about being a child of God and about our behavior as a follower of Jesus. 

I invite you to consider the following questions in your daily prayer time each day for the next week.

+Does my behavior provide convincing evidence that I am living a life of holiness after the example of Jesus?

+Is there evidence the Holy Spirit is producing more and more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life?

+What seems to be getting in the way of living a life of holiness in a way that honors God and grows my relationship with Jesus?

Living a life of holiness is ultimately about our conduct, our behavior, and our actions.  I encourage you to invite one of your best friends to join you for a cup of coffee this week.  Then, ask your friend to share how your conduct, behavior, and actions are providing evidence that you are living a life of holiness after the example of Jesus.

The good news is when we commit to living a life of holiness, the Holy Spirit will work in our lives in new and powerful ways.  Spiritual fruit will be produced.  Your conduct will look much more like the kingdom of God and much less like the ways of the world.

As the Spirit makes you more and more like Jesus, your life will fill with joy and your heart will overflow with delight in the Lord.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug