As one who used to highly encourage the importance of being relevant
in order to reach people with the message of Jesus, over time I have walked
away from that emphasis. Why? While on the surface it may seem to be a more
useful on-ramp into the Kingdom to be relevant to the lost people of this world,
this perspective too often lacks something desperately needed in our world: more people of G-d living in holiness. You might say, “Those ‘holiness people’ are
not able to relate to the rest of the world and live in their own religious
bubble.” But is being “holy” the same as
being religious? To be holy means to be “other than” or “set apart”. So how are we to be in this world but not of
this world? How are we to be set apart
without living in a “religious bubble”? How
can we know whether we are being holy or religious?
I want to suggest that the evidence for living a life of holiness
is the demonstration of the power of G-d in your life. Being religious does not necessarily lead to
the manifest presence of G-d in our lives. Walking in holiness leads to the power of the
Holy Spirit in our lives. Think of that
miraculous healing you experienced or witnessed. Think of the time when that man of G-d spoke
into your life as if he knew the deep things of your heart. We have the opportunity to be used by G-d to
be a vessel for the outpouring of His Spirit to others. To bring more people into His Kingdom we need
more people of G-d living “holiness” that is demonstrated through the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in my
life? May we all be called to a higher
standard of holiness so that our Father will deem us worthy to demonstrate through
us His Kingdom on the earth as it is in Heaven.
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