Holiness

I know a lot of us know the question, "Would you consider yourself to be a good person?" from Way of the Master. I have a question to ask all of us, though: "Would you consider yourself to be a holy person?" You may think this is a pretty arrogant question to ask or to assume a quality to have upon yourself. If you do, I ask- why? The Bible calls us to be holy. Why shouldn't we be doing things to set ourselves apart from the rest of the world to be holy? Isn't that what the Bible calls us to be?

2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."

Ephesians 4:24 calls us "to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

1 Thessalonians 3:13 says may the Lord "establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification (or your holiness): that you abstain from sexual immorality."

Hebrews 12:14 says, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

These are just a few of the verses calling us to be holy. A search for "sanctify" or "sanctification" also returns several verses.

Is there something wrong with me because I stand at street corners holding a cross- or is there something right about me? We are always told to conform to the world and if we are a "religious zealot" we are the ones considered to be odd. This is the way Jesus calls us to be- so why are you still conforming to the world? I don't care what the thousands of people who see me with my cross think about me- I only care what my Savior thinks.

Why is it OK to display a cross in a church or outside a church on their property- but as soon as someone holds one on the street corner, they are the nutcase? 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Are you willing to be associated with the cross? Aren't you trusting Jesus' atoning death on it for your salvation?

I generally don't watch TV, aside from possibly the news, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy (although these aren't even always safe) with my wife. I also may watch some sports occasionally (typically they do not interest me, but sometimes something will catch my interest as my wife has it on) or other things on the weekend with my wife, but that is becoming less and less, also.

I have a "blasphemy rule" for TV and radio. If I was watching a TV show and I heard a blasphemy, I would either change the channel or turn the TV off. I cut the cable a while ago because of the garbage on it, but even the networks are full of sex and violence. I started to watch TV shows with my wife, but I soon figured out that nothing was safe- not even PBS. So, I just stopped watching TV (aside from the two shows I mentioned). I haven't forced this on my wife- although she knows I will not watch TV with her.

This frees up my nights for Bible study and prayer. 8:00 to 10:00 is usually my dedicated time with the Lord during the week. I do pray, go out with my cross, and sometimes read during the day, but I try to dedicate these two hours every week night to the Lord.

I wish I could fully explain how liberating it is to not have TV polluting my mind. How often do you find yourself talking about what you watched on TV the night before? I don't have that. That space in my mind is reserved for Scripture and prayer. I'm hoping to be able to start memorizing more and more Scripture- and it is a lot easier when I don't have TV shows competing for the space in my brain. I am not trying to boast, but encourage you to be holy.

I was talking to my father yesterday and he gets pretty heated pretty quickly over religion. My father is Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic and culture and religion with him go together, even if he is what is often coined as a "Sunday Catholic." He asked me yesterday who I was to judge what he believes and tell him what he believes is wrong. In this age of "tolerance," I can understand why this isn't accepted. Remember, it's not what you "believe" or think is true- it's what is true.

He freely admits he is not well verse in the Bible, but he is quick to point out the verse about "judging not" like so many are. I didn't even mention to him that the Bible says you will also know a tree by its fruit. Everything I know about the Bible is just my "interpretation." I tried explaining that the Bible was written to a specific set of people in a specific time in history and it had to be interpreted that way, but I wasn't getting anywhere.

Catholicism is idolatry and the Bible says no idolaters will inherit the kingdom of God. You may say I need to respect my parents. Remember, though, if someone were headed toward a cliff, I wouldn't not warn them because they like the scenery along the way.

What are you relying on for your salvation? If you say anything except Jesus' atoning work on the cross- baptism, confession, communion, good works, tithing, fasting, etc., you are trusting in yourself and not Jesus. These are things we ought to do, but they, in and of them self, will not save us. They are done in obedience and a willful, submissive heart- not coercion. I do not understand why someone would get mad or offended by talking about the most loving thing Jesus could do for us and call themselves saved.