September 18
Follow the Right Kind of Holiness
Hebrews 12:14

We’re to follow peace with everyone and the holiness that no one will see the Lord without.  At times we may have a different idea of holiness than what the Lord does.  People may think of someone as holy if they never miss a church service.  If they’re very active and involved in church or in doing good deeds we think that makes a person holy.  A person who is holy may do all those things but that doesn’t make a person holy.

To be holy is to be purified, but to follow holiness doesn’t mean we follow after a bunch of religious works to make us holy.  To follow holiness or purification means that we are in a right relationship with God and we are endeavoring to continue in a right relationship with Him.

It’s not that He purifies us and then we have to try and keep ourselves purified now by doing certain things.  Yes, we need to abstain from sin and lay aside the weights that get us off balance, but we will only remain holy by continuing in a right relationship with God.  We’re to pursue Him and follow after Him, not after our good deeds.

Confession:

I will follow peace with everyone and the kind of holiness that will enable me to see the Lord.  I realize it’s not my idea of holiness that makes me holy, but God’s idea.  I follow after His holiness.  I pursue Him and a relationship with Him over and above religious deeds.