Holy Is Not What We Achieve

I have read and heard it preached about dozens of times - "Be holy, for I am holy."

The thing about God is that He is already holy. This is not something He has to achieve. But the Bible says for me to "be" holy. "Be" is a present state of being. It is the "do it" part of my life that I desire to work on. Why? Because in my desire to strive after holiness I have to deal with my imperfection: my mistakes, my problems, my sins. If I am a hypocrite for my mistakes then so be it. I am human and we ere. I would rather admit that I make mistakes and that I sin, then try to pretend that I toe-the-line in perfection.

Knowing God is a condition of the heart and soul, not a condition of judgement. God sought me and you to renew a relationship, but He had to do it through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. Just because I behave right, doesn't make me a Christian nor does it make me right. There have been a lot of times when I used my Christianity to disguise my faults and my pain.

Behavior follows belief. This is where I have hope for my life, because if my behavior veers away from the path I am travelling, the Bible tells me that I have a built-in compass. This compass can only be accessed when I am still and I return my focus on knowing God is God.

Sin disorients our life. By becoming still and focusing we can find God even in the midst of the worst disaster we have ever faced. Do not get me wrong. I am not saying a Christian should not attempt to live a lifestyle of purity and doing the right thing. What I am saying is that in my human state of being there will be times I mess it up, and it is usually this time when people seem to notice and make their judgement about Christianity instead of seeing how I fix things.

The book unChristian says that hypocrisy arises out of a lack of transparency. "Embracing personal integrity and rejecting compromise to personal purity are crucial goals for young believers...Transparency means not merely trying to act right, but being honest about our own lives - even being open about the problems our lifestyles have created."

But being transparent has limitations. First, you have to use caution because the sordid details of our mistakes are not what need to be transparent. Second, we are not perfect, but in that we do strive after holiness (or doing the right things, including fixing mistakes). "The message of grace - we can accept ourselves and others unconditionally, just as God has accepted us." (unChristian) With the condition of our hearts being fractured, we cannot prove our worth, yet the sacrifice of Jesus gives us worth. He thought we were worthy enough when He died for us.

Third, The motivation for transparency has to be about having a desire that presents a pure heart before God and others. Finally, Restoration is the only fitting result from being transparent.

Dealing with imperfection or sin means learning how to help people understand the gravity of their choices (beyond the "You're going to Hell" approach) while also displaying a clear path to restoration. We need to break from the crutch of adhering to rigid rules and strict standards, if we are to experience the true mercy of God and if anyone else is to discover that mercy for themselves.

Being still and knowing God is an intimate relationship that requires time, practice, and desire. It is a life-long journey with bumps along the road and sinful practices that have to be dealt with. But my place is not to judge you or your ways but to journey with you and hopefully show you a way of life that is less taxing on your "state of being."

What say you?