Pursue Holiness

July/Holiness

1 July 2010

Faith together with works, eagerness together with steadfastness, tranquility together with zeal, chastity together with humility, fasting together with moderation, poverty together with generosity, silence together with conversation, division together with equality...

- Colman mac Beognai, Aipgitir Chrabaid (Irish, 7th century)

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.

- 2 Corinthians 7.1

Colman was a nephew of Columcille, and his "Broom of Devotion" is a catalog of the kind of virtues expected of the followers of Christ. The opening quote - begun above - reminds us of Ecclesiastes 3 and the opposites there set forth which all have their place "under the heavens."

Celtic Christians were earnest about holiness. They disciplined soul and body in the pursuit of it and submitted themselves to soul friends and the discipline of penance to maintain and advance holiness in their lives. They understood that living for Christ - being a witness - was as much a matter of how they lived as what they said.

God is holy; Christ is holy; the Spirit of God is holy; God's Law is holy and righteous and good. It only makes sense that believers - "saints", or "holy ones" - should devote themselves to the pursuit of holiness as of the highest priority in their lives (Matt. 6.33). This means daily prayer and waiting on the Lord to illuminate areas where holiness is lacking in our lives. It requires vigilance over all our words and deeds, clear planning as to how we may improve our walk with the Lord, and daily praise and thanks for whatever progress the Lord allows us to make.

Are you "bringing holiness to completion" in your walk with Christ? Are you conscious of daily striving to become more like Jesus, to follow in His footsteps in the Law of God, and of laying aside everything in your life that is contrary to the good and holy purposes of God? If not, "bringing holiness to completion" is not likely to occur. If so, full and abundant life will be increasingly yours.

July Exercise: Download "Called to Be Witnesses." For the first week (July 1-11), read this little brochure over several times each day. On several days during this period, rate yourself - 1 to 10 - on the two areas, A Way of Life and Empowered for Witness. Talk with the Lord about why you rated yourself the way you did, and look for ways to improve these two aspects of your call to be holy.

Today in ReVision: Work with Dignity - Your work is a great place to live out your devotion to the Lord.

This Week's Download: Called to Be Witnesses - Get it and use it all this month, following the suggested guidelines in the "July Exercise" above.

And if you don't have a copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics, a basic handbook for holiness, get one from the book store today.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.