1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 – For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

God has called you to a life of holiness and purity. He has called you out from a world of misery, and has begun in you a lifelong process designed to make you more and more like Himself. Rejecting holiness is rejecting God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that lives within you. A holy walk involves a right relationship with God the Father, who called you, God the Son who died for you, and God the Spirit who lives within you. The presence of the Holy Spirit is what makes your body the temple of God and it is by walking in the Spirit that you get victory over the lusts of the flesh. It may be hard for you to imagine being owned by someone else. The truth is that every “man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Pet. 2:19) and we are all mastered by something. As believers, our call from God is to be mastered by him. The person who ignores the demand for purity is not setting aside a law of man, but is disrespecting God himself. The demand for purity springs from God’s very essence.

Challenge:

How well pleasing it is to God that you act holy and righteous in everything you do. God wants you to be holy just as He is holy. When you compare yourself to others it is easy to feel holy, but when you compare yourself to God and His holiness, you may feel far from holy. There will always be more work to do at achieving greater holiness. Thankfully God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you become holy. Your challenge this week is to listen closely to the Holy Spirit as He leads you into God’s will for you. The Spirit knows perfectly the will of God for you, and He will always guide you accordingly. Be sensitive to that check in your spirit that something is not right with a decision you need to make. When someone sends you a hurtful email, pray before you respond and see how or if the Lord would have you respond to them. If someone you have not thought about in a while pops into your mind, pray for them right away and consider giving them a call or sending them a message. You may be surprised how God will use you to minister to them in their time of need. These things are examples of holy living. Allow God to use you this week and may God bless you by doing so.