Do you want to be holy?

Steve Brown, in his Through the Eyes of Grace: Hebrews-Revelations, asks the question "Do you want to be holy?"  He then goes on to explain holiness in the Bible means to be "set apart," "worthy of veneration," and  "set apart to God."

The question pops up when he gets into 1 Peter 1:13-2:3.

I've been rereading this same page, page 16 if you have your own copy, for almost a half a year now.

"Do you want to be holy?"  The question haunts me even as I prepare for bed, reviewing the happenings of the day with quiet, brief, yet sincere prayers for my family and those my thoughts stumble across.  I know what the answer is supposed to be.  Of course I want to be holy, don't I? Do I want to be holy?

It's a dangerous question: "Do you want to be holy?"  It's the question that legalists use to drive the sinners from their churches.  It's question that's been used to burn folks at the stake.  It's the question that strengthens the self-righteous.

Without grace, that question will drive even me from Christ.

Grace.

He pursues us, loves us, has accepted us despite the radical nature of sin.  Steve Brown defines it this way: "Your sin is radically bad and radically worse in direct proportion to how much you think it is not radically bad and not radically worse."  Because of His love for us, His grace, the assurance of our salvation creates in us a desire to be better, to be holy.  We desire this not to earn our salvation, but because we are already saved.

So do I want to be holy?  Yes.

But what does it look like?

Back

Today I realized, again, that I need to write.  There are thoughts that bounce around in my head, some mundane and some profound, that need to be expressed in some fashion.  Years ago that took the shape of a blog and since blogging is out according to those in the know, it should suit me well.

It is arrogant to suggest that my thoughts are profound, so let me define the term.  Profound, in this case, meaning a thought that has some insight that I had previously overlooked or failed to encapsulate into words.  Yes the concept may have had some form of existence, but I was unable to communicate it.

Today's thoughts that pelted me centered around the idea of my frustration in obedience.  As much as it is a struggle, I cherish it when on some occasion I realize the my motivation behind my obedience to the Gospel is rooted in some sort of sin.  Often it is pride, but it could as easily be selfishness or some idol needing some attention.  In truth, it first pains me to realize the depth of my depravity that I sin even in my obedience, but then I realize how amazing Grace truly is that God, knowing even these failings, sought me.