What Does It Mean To Follow Jesus, 3?

REV GOH YONG KUANG

Following Jesus requires us to pursue holiness! The apostle tells us:

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends,

 let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,

perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 NIV

Max Lucado, a prolific writer and pastor wrote: 

“God loves you the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way.

He wants you to be…just like Jesus”

God does not only want to save us – He wants to change us. He want us to move from believing in Jesus to becoming like Jesus

What was Jesus like? What is one thing in His life that we are called to reflect in our own life? We are called to reflect His holiness to the world.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica:

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

- 1 Thessalonians 4:7, NIV

The opposite of holiness is sinfulness! When God calls us to a life of holiness – He is calling us away from a life of sinfulness.

A story is told of a young girl who accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. One day, she applied for membership in a local church.

An elder of the church asked her, "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?"  

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"Well, are you still a sinner?" the elder asked again.

"To be honest, I feel I'm a greater sinner than ever."

"Then what real change have you experienced?" the elder asked.

She replied: "Well, I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I'm a sinner running from sin!"

Holiness involves turning away from sin and turning towards God.  Although God is the author of sanctification – we have a part in the sanctification process. Our part is in…

-         renouncing sin and repenting of sin

-         seeking God’s forgiveness and cleansing

-         relying on God’s strength to live a holy life. 

As God's children, we should reflect the holiness of our Lord in our lives and conduct. Dear friends, can people see that in our lives? Will they find our conduct consistent with our calling as God’s children?  Someone once said, “Live in such a way that the preacher can tell the truth at your funeral!”

The importance of holiness in the life of a believer cannot be overemphasized. Without holiness, we cannot please God; neither can we effectively follow Him!

At the Day of Judgment we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done;

not how well we have spoken, but how holy we have lived.

- Thomas à Kempis