Living A Life Of Holiness!

April 21, 2026

Scripture

“Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.  For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones.  The righteous shall be kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.  The righteous shall inherit the land and live in it forever.”  Psalm 37:27-29

Living A Life Of Holiness!

The life of a Christ-follower exists in the time between now and through eternity.  I am confident there is life beyond the grave; an eternal life in the full presence and glory of the Lord God!  I am also confident there is life on this side of the grave; a temporary life when the clear presence and glory of the Lord God is real but not always so obvious!

In I Corinthians 13:12 the Apostle Paul writes; “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face.  Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”  My eternal life with the Lord God will be a face to face relationship while my life now is a slightly distorted reflection of that relationship.

In our life now, the Lord God has called each of us to live a life of holiness that is characterized by certain qualities.  In Psalm 37:27-28 David describes this life of holiness.  David writes; “Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.  For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones.”

David says those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul do three things;

+depart from evil

+do good

+love justice

About three hundred years later, a prophet named Micah wrote similar words as he described living a life of holiness.  In Micah 6:8 we hear;  “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah says those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul do three things;

+do justice

+love kindness

+live humbly

In the 18^th century, a pastor in the Church of England launched a spiritual revival in England.  He preached sermons and wrote letters for those early “Methodists” to help them continue growing in their relationship with Jesus.  John Wesley wrote something very similar to David and Micah. 

Wesley says those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul do three things;

+Do no harm.

+Do good.

+Attend upon the ordinances of God

(Kenneth J. Collins and Jason E. Vickers, eds., The Sermons of John Wesley: A Collection For The Christian Journey,

Abingdon, 2013, p. 537, and see also “The More Excellent Way,” VI. 5)

The first way of living a life of holiness involves doing no harm, no evil, no destruction in our relationships with other people, with God’s creation, and with our self.

The second way of living a life of holiness involves helping and serving other people through acts of kindness, service, and generosity.

The third way of living a life of holiness involves participating in a variety of spiritual practices (i.e., “the ordinances of God”) such as prayer, worship, reading the Bible, fasting, and participating in the sacraments.  These spiritual disciplines help us to draw near to and grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus.

For David and Micah and Wesley, the outward expressions of the inner transformation the Holy Spirit has accomplished in us through faith in Jesus expresses itself in a transformation in the way we live our life each day.  This life of holiness is expressed in both the inner transformation of our heart and the outward transformation of the way we live.  In other words, living a life of holiness demonstrate the on-going work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.

Compare what David, Micah, and Wesley describe as the outward transformation the Holy Spirit works in the life of a believer.

David                                                                Micah                                                                Wesley

Depart from evil                                             Live humbly                                                      Do no harm                             

Do good                                                            Love kindness                                                  Do good

Love justice                                                      Do justice                                                         Draw near to God

What the Holy Spirit has done and is doing in your heart will be expressed in the life you are living.  The goal of living a life of holiness is to be a true reflection of the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart, mind, and soul. 

This new life with Christ is often called a “life of holiness.”  It is a new way of living now until that day when we will live face to face with Jesus in heaven.

Reflect

How is your life a reflection of the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart?  Are there some practices you need to add to your life (i.e., live humbly, do good, love kindness, do justice, draw near to God)?  Are there some practices you need to take out of your life (i.e., depart from evil, do no harm, etc.)?  What is one thing you could ask the Holy Spirit to change in your heart so your actions would be more God-honoring?

Pray

Lord God, I am grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart, mind, and soul.  I would be lost in life and in eternity without your gracious and generous work in me.  I know I need to make some changes in my actions and my words and my heart.  Initiate those changes in me today so I can live in a closer relationship with you and continue to live a life of holiness that glorifies you.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Act

Write four or five ways in which the way you are living your life now is an expression of the Holy Spirit in your heart.  Next to each of those actions, write down how each one is preparing you for a face to face relationship with Jesus in heaven.