Holiness
Defining Holiness – Part IX

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-25

Key Verse: Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

As we finish up this month’s devotional, I want to make sure that we see the pathway to “Kingdom Fitness” and why it is important.

Let’s take the second first, why it’s important.

Certainly, it is important that we cooperate with the Spirit of God in us and be all He wants us to be. But truthfully, I think our Kingdom Fitness is more for others than us.

We have said “yes” to God’s invitation to join His family, but many others around us have not. God loves them like He loves you and wants to use you to be an influence on them; light and salt are the terms the Bible uses.

As we work on our Kingdom Fitness we become more and more like Jesus, which makes us more and more appealing to those looking on. I have often said that even an atheist wants people to treat them with respect, kindness, and compassion. That is exactly what being Kingdom Fit helps every Christ-follower to do: to be that person that “sinners” like to be around.

Remember, being compassionate does not mean you have compromised your standards. Jesus was always compassionate to sinners and yet never compromised who He was.

Have you ever got the feeling that today’s Christ-followers see themselves as instructors to everyone around them on what is right and wrong?

The old timers used to call these people “self-appointed gatekeepers”. Such self-appointed gatekeepers feel that they should decide who comes into the church, who gets compassionate treatment, or who gets the lecture on all they are doing wrong.

Can we get back to the standard that Jesus modeled and how He treated people who had yet to say yes to Him?

It is sad to see how divided our world has become. There seems no longer to be respect for other’s opinions but hatred toward those who disagree with us. Do you know what is even sadder? When we see this in God’s church.

Those who do not want to wear a mask nor get the covid shots sometimes show little or no respect for those who think differently. Or vice versa.

I doubt that Planet Fitness always gets to their goal of a no judgement environment. Shouldn’t God’s people make sure their church is a no judgement zone?

We can be friendly and loving to people we disagree with… and God expects us to!!!

Father, forgive me when I start acting like it is my job to straighten people out. Help me to remember to simply show compassion without compromise. In Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.