Enabled to Be Holy

“I am using an example from everyday life because of your
human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity
and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to
righteousness leading to holiness” (Romans 6:19).

Notice that righteousness leads to holiness.

“To rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us
to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our
days” (Luke 1:74-75).

Jesus is our “enabler.” He does not enable us to continue in
sin, but the opposite, holiness and righteousness. He does this all our days.
Righteousness is purity that comes from God when we receive Jesus Christ. We
are cleansed from our sin.

Holiness is also pure. However, it does not cleanse us. It
does not take place until after we are clean. Holiness is not getting
dirty. Holiness starts out being clean by the righteousness that comes from
God.

Most of my life has been spent getting people righteous with
the gospel and getting Christians to stay righteous by confession of sin. It
seems that Christians think that it is normal to stay unrighteous and that it
is impossible to be holy.

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all
you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

There was a time in my life when I would ask Christians if
they wanted to be holy. I have given up the practice because the ranges of
answers I was given were different ways of saying, “No, I don’t.”

This post coordinates with today’s reading in the To
the Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,
please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.