Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Living a Holy Life


But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

Many of us, as Christians, accepted Christ Jesus when we were young or impulsively during evangelical meetings. At that very moment, we were touched by Jesus’ crucification. We vowed to live a new life and to follow His path. We were excited about starting a new life. However, as the dust settles, many a times, we reverted back either to our old self or slowly re-blended ourselves into worldly activities. Our spiritual growth became stagnant, and following Jesus’ path disappointingly became a weekly routine.

Time is a good cure for wounds, and yet it is a good poison. When we conquer over the evil one, he will try all his tricks to withhold us from following Jesus’ path. When it all fails, he knows time is a good factor. We, as human beings, are weak in consistency. All he has to do is to wait. Due to our sinful nature, we become relaxed and off-guard. We believe we can overcome all the hurdles because Jesus lives in us. However, we have forgotten about putting on the full armor of God.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the Breastplate of Righteousness in place, and with your Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace. In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

These were my grandfather’s favorite verses. I remembered him telling me about the armor of God over and over again when I was young. He was a preacher and he spent a lot of time preaching the gospel of peace to people after he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. He risked his life working for God. He walked his path closely with God, and so did my grandmother.

He said, “To tell truth is easier than telling lies, as there is only one truth and many lies. Live righteously as that is a proof of your identity as a true Christian. Go to people’s house with the gospel of peace; bring peace and blessings to the family as your reward will be big in heaven. Have faith in God and do not doubt. Always read the word of God as that is your only weapon against the evil one.” He lived his testimony with this simple statement and I can understand it better after receiving the Holy Spirit.

It is a blessing to be able to read the word of God. I used to hate reading bible as I think it was so boring and dull. However, God opened up my eyes after receiving the Holy Spirit. In order for me to live a holy life, it is important for me to spend time with Him alone. God’s spirit is with us as long as we live a holy life. Before I start my day, I will have a morning session with him, even if it is just a short period of time. It is more than enough to have His blessings to start my day. Each night, before I close my eyes, I thank Him for walking through my day with me. I also take the chance for him to review the sins that I commit during the day and ask for the forgiveness. I want to ‘clean up’ my heart before I rest.

I have restored my relationship with my parents and I have been living joyously over the last 14 days. I believe every one of us can set ourselves free as long as we humble ourselves before him. God is merciful and He will change us as long as we bow before him, empty ourselves. Living a holy life is not that bad after you have experienced it. It is possible and it is sweet.

No comments:

Post a Comment