The Hole in Our Holiness

Rev. Kevin DeYoung
University Reformed Church (East Lansing, MI)
Click here to read the full post on The Gospel Coalition blog


A few thoughts from the blog:


God’s mission in the world is to save a people and sanctify his people. Christ died “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:15). We were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Christ “loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).


The pursuit of holiness does not occupy the place in our hearts that it should. 


But where are the Christians known for their zeal for holiness? Where is the corresponding passion for honoring Christ with Christlike obedience? We need more Christian leaders on our campuses, in our cities, in our seminaries who will say with Paul, “Look carefully then how you walk”? (Eph. 5:15).


But I believe God would have us be much more careful with our eyes, our ears, and our mouth. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God.


Click here to read the full post on The Gospel Coalition Blog

POWER for Living

Every Christian is to grow spiritually. The following POWER acrostic will help you to remember the essential elements to spiritual progress.

P
Pray. The Christian who wants to grow, communicates with God through prayer. He expresses his gratitude to Him, confesses his sins, and come to Him with his requests for himself and for others. God promises to be near to all who come to Him in prayer.

O
Obey. Jesus said that our obedience to His commands is an indicator of our love for Him. We can't do it our own strength, however. That's one of the reasons He gave us the Holy Spirit. As we yield to Him, the Spirit provides the power to walk in obedience.

W
Worship. A Christian's devotion to God is to be continuous. Privately, he should worship God in his thoughts and prayers. Publicly, he should unite with fellow believers in a local assembly to bring praise to God.

E
Evangelize. The good news of the gospel is to be shared. As we tell others what Christ has done for us, we will find ourselves growing by spiritual leaps and bounds.

R
Read. The most direct source of a Christian's spiritual growth is the Bible. It must be read regularly because it is him milk and strong meat. It tells us how to live. It is God's word to us!