Jesus gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people who are truly His, who are eager to do good. (Titus 2:14, italics mine)
Our Lord demands exclusivity. In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Cole used the term “uncontested possession”- that is, our sanctification marks us as belonging completely to God. When we belong completely to God, there is nothing left to share with the devil.
Perhaps this would be a good place to remind us that the devil is not known for his sharing skills. Satan, who seeks to counterfeit the divine, also wants to completely own people so that he can use them in the service of the demonic. As much as he hates humanity, he has no problem using humans to further his goal to “steal, kill, and destroy” all people (see John 10:7-10). A prime example of this is found in the life of Judas Iscariot. Judas’s apostolic authority was compromised when he chose to betray Jesus. A few days of clandestine activity resulted in heartache and destruction for Judas, who was driven to suicide. The book of Acts confirms that Judas was an authentic disciple (see Acts 1:16-17) who traded the beauty of holiness for the short-term pleasure of sin. His status as a true disciple did not save him from destruction.
As Nazarenes, as holiness people, we believe and expect that our hearts are continually experiencing what Wesley calls an “inner cleansing”. Jesus has cleansed us from our sins. We have received a pure heart, and we have embraced life in a community of like-minded people who daily live redeemed lives. Sin has lost its appeal! We are so deeply in love with Jesus that nothing can persuade us to disobey His law. Nothing can cause us to walk away from His love.
At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Does sin still have a grip on you? Appeal to God. His Spirit is available to you. Embrace a complete and exclusive love relationship with God which will, every day, make your character look more and more like His. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. He will give you the strength to renounce sin and cling to His grace.
Refiner’s Fire, my heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart to You Lord.
I choose to be holy, set apart for You, my Master, ready to do Your will. (Brian Doerksen)
No comments:
Post a Comment