Mission Holiness

The Spirit calls me this morning out of the "thicket of the Jordan" where it seems that I have been battling forces dark and evil for quite some time.  In the watches of the night, there has been a soft word whispered that seems just out of earshot of my conscious mind.  But this morning I hear it clearly.

The Holy One calls me awake to speak important understanding to my mind that has been under siege and grieved by all I have seen and experienced in the battle.

Today, He begins by saying, "Be Holy because I am Holy"  I Peter 1:16.

This is one of those conversations like a parent has when they begin by saying, "If you remember nothing else I have tried to teach you, remember this".  I am all ears.

The Holy One continues, "We look at things much differently than you do.   Our ways are so much higher than yours."  The unity of the Trinity is clear.  "While you go through the trial with your eyes on the resolution, our eyes are on you."

Taking  a flawed-by-sin human and bringing the person into the conforming image of Christ Jesus is the life long task of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the being of every born again believer in the Word.

All the trials we face have eternal implications. The trials are termed "firey" because if the heat we face while in them and the purpose to our lives they have in the burning and purifying us of less than Holy qualities. 

When Jesus left this earth He provided all of us who would belong to Him with the Holy Spirit.  He is the One who is to lead us into all Truth.

The Truth is that without the Holy Spirit we can have no unity with the Triune Godhead: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   We have been born again into the family of God, only by the change in our Spiritual DNA that was made when we entered into the saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son, provided by God, the Father, activated by The Holy Spirit.  Once that occurs, our unity with the Trinity is complete.

Still, the human factor of free will must come into and under the Rule of the Holy Spirit in order for our image to conform to that of our new parentage in Jesus Christ.

The process is lifelong, the work is intense and all our trials provide the catalyst for us to see what needs to be worked out of our hearts and minds so Christ can be reflected.  We are to be a reflection of our Heavenly family.   We are to live by our Father's values and directives so that we are a reflection of Him and so that we bring honor to His Name.

Regardless of the nature of the trial we are facing, Holiness in our process is the important issue to our Lord.  Holiness is often not an issue to us. We whine, we cry, we doubt, we fear and we even compromise just to win.  For many of us, we don't even "get" what Holiness is supposed to look like in our actions and reactions.  Our ignorance may well be why we must repeat similar trials.

We live in a fallen earth.  We were born with our original sin nature.  The flesh is our constant antagonist to the Holiness within and the devil is alive and well.  But Jesus has provided us with the Holy One who can and will enable us to conquer and overcome all our handicaps.

I can't help but ask my Counselor, "does this mean I need to give up the battle and focus only on internal Holiness?"  His answer was clear.

"No, you must continue to fight the battles against injustice, evil corruption and compromise of my Word. to uphold Holiness and Godly standards before men.  I came to destroy the works of the devil and I commission you to do the same.  But in each trial and process, I want you to look for and find the golden thread of Holiness and allow Me to wrap you in it.  Be Holy because I am Holy and I will show you how."

I am so thankful that life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is not a roll of the dice, a luck vs. misfortune game.  We are not victims but rather more than conquerors.  Today, I see that the Lord is after more than just an earthly resolutions that I am so in need of in my own mind.

The Lord's focus is Holiness. That is the mission, that is the goal in every trial I face. 

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?