Living A Life Of Holiness
- Dr. John Morris
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Whenever I preach or teach about Jesus Christ, I try to give something practical to those listening so they can apply it in their daily lives. Lofty thoughts and powerful words may inspire, but what most often sustains us is down-to-earth, meet-us-where-we-live wisdom.
This is true today, and it was equally true two thousand years ago.
After Jesus rose from the dead and, forty days later, ascended into Heaven, His disciples began telling everyone the good news – indeed, the great news – about salvation through the Son of God. People were hungry for this message, but they also wanted to know how to live in a way which was pleasing and acceptable to God. Some would find this in the solitude of the desert or with a small community of like-minded believers, but most were looking for answers in the rough-and-tumble world we simply call life.
Living a Life of Holiness
Throughout the Word of God, we can find what to do, and what to avoid doing, to help us live a life of holiness. “Holiness” does not mean attaining spiritual perfection or floating above the struggles of everyday life. It means being in the world, but not of the world, by becoming what God wants us to become. There is no magic formula or prescription, but in the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, he gives us some important considerations:
As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14, NIV
The Principles
So, how can you live a life of holiness? An excellent place to start is with the seven principles described by Paul to the Colossians:
Be compassionate. Help those who are suffering. Do not turn a blind eye but instead extend a helping hand (Luke 10:30-37).
Be kind. Be warm, generous, and genuine. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31).
Be humble. Think first of others. Look for the least, the last, and the lost – and then be Christ to them (Matthew 25:34-40).
Be gentle. Be considerate. Be tender. Remember that everyone you meet is fighting a difficult battle (Rev. John Watson).
Be patient. Endure. Persevere. Trust in God and then bide your time until His glory shines through the darkness (Romans 5:3-5).
Bear with each other and forgive one another. Be like Christ as He spoke words of forgiveness while dying on the cross (Luke 23:34). Indeed, to be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in us (C.S. Lewis).
Love. Greater than even faith or hope (1 Corinthians 13:13), love as Jesus loved – without reservation or condition (John 15:12-13). And remember, we are not called by God to do extraordinary things but only ordinary things with extraordinary love (Jean Vanier/Mother Teresa of Calcutta).
Some will ask, “But what’s in it for me?” In a world which esteems competitiveness and rewards those who come out on top, the actions advocated by Paul seem to imply weakness. However, he answered this question as well: when you are weak, then, by the power of Christ, you are strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The Challenge
In choosing to live a life of holiness, the first and greatest challenge lies not in deciding what to do but rather in deciding whether to do anything at all.
For many Christians, inertia is their worst enemy, as Satan whispers, “What’s the hurry?” However, you and I do not know when we will pass into eternity, nor do we know when Jesus will return in the Second Coming. Because of this, we should live each day with our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), and we should begin each day with the simple question, “Lord, what do you want me to do today?” God’s answer will be equally simple: live a life of holiness.
We are all called to live a life of holiness, and the Word of God shows us the way. The journey will last a lifetime, and we will inevitably make mistakes along the way, but the reward which awaits us is beyond anything we can imagine (Philippians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 2:9).
-- Dr. John Morris