For I am the Lord that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God, and that you should be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 12:45)
In this day and age, many people have drifted away from holiness and have fallen into a spiritual state of apostasy (a renunciation of a godly values and beliefs; rebellion). It’s important we understand that we were not delivered to live in sin. On the contrary, we were delivered from the power of sin by grace, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we may grow in holiness.
Since no person could fully obey God’s law in its entirety based on man’s fallen nature, we put our faith in Jesus Christ to obtain righteousness that we may be justified by faith. Accepting Christ into our hearts was the initial step in the right direction. However, we must continue our spiritual journey by placing one foot in front of the other. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead. If we truly have faith in God, then our actions will align with what we truly believe in our hearts.
Understand, we must go beyond just believing in Jesus Christ. We must go on to obtaining spiritual maturity, which requires a disciplinary lifestyle. As we practice discipline, our souls (mind, will, and emotions) will become transformed by the revelation of God’s Word. Therefore, there is a principle of progression that the Lord expects from each of us.
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. (Luke 6:46)
As it pertains to holiness, faith and morality cannot be separated in the life of a believer. Understand, we are not working for our salvation. We are “working out” our salvation (Philippians 2:12). In essence, we must work outwardly what God has worked inwardly by the power of His Spirit. For example, if we were to work out our physical bodies, we would be transforming our bodies to become physically fit. Well, we become spiritually fit as we conform to the image of Christ.
Although God is love and full of compassion, He still requires a corresponding love which we demonstrate by our stance of faith in His Word. It doesn’t mean that we will not make mistakes. This is why we have been given grace to grow. However, we should be making gradual steps in the right direction throughout our spiritual journey. When my sons were going through different stages of maturity, I didn’t expect them to do everything perfectly. However, I did expect them to learn and grow from their mistakes.
In conclusion, there will be gradual change towards holiness, as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If obeyed, there are blessings and promotions in the kingdom of God (Psalm 128:1, Matthew 25:23). Ultimately, when we deposit the Word of God into our hearts through a disciplinary lifestyle, then we become rich in spirit and fit for eternity. Joy, Love, and Peace!