You're Called To Holiness...

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:7

The desires of God are to see you become what He designed you to be; anything less than that is simply unacceptable… Today’s focus verse emphasizes the importance of abstaining from the ways and views of this world… There are a lot of things that are deemed acceptable according to our peer standards, but they do not align with the will of God… There are a lot of things that people may tell you aren’t so bad or are okay for you to engage in; when in reality these very things will corrupt your mind and your way of life… As child of God it is of the utmost importance that we remember that we are called into holiness, this means that we are separated from the ways and paths of this life and called to adhere to the ways and standards of our Heavenly Father… To be holy means that you are consecrated, sanctified and/or blessed… God wants to take you to higher heights; He wants to open up doors in your life; however, He needs you to stop allow filthiness to corrupt your being… This filthiness could be defiling your physical body with drugs, sex or alcohol; or it could be a more subtle unrecognized tool that corrupts like the music you listen to, the places you hang out or even the people you associate with… You have to be careful and be vigilant as to see clearly that there are many aspects of your life that can be filthy… You can be clean on the outside and filthy inside; you can be clean on the inside and filthy on the outside; no matter what the case may be, know that when dealing with the enemy you can’t become to comfortable with your surroundings… Paul writes this letter to the church of Thessalonica at a time when they are being tested by the Jews or were jealous and envious of their walk in the will of God… This church was a working church in that they strived to adhere to the will of God even in the midst of adversity and tribulations… Today, we can stand to learn a great deal from this church, so many of our churches today have allowed this world to dictate how we deal with situations and turmoil… Instead of living according to the will of God we find ourselves living to please the itching ears of society… Paul is writing to set the record straight, even though people will rise in opposition to your work, He wants to remind you that you have been called unto holiness and not uncleanness… To be Holy is to be sacred, divine and consecrated… You will have your detractors and it will appear that the grass is greener on the other side if you just turn form the will of God; however, we are reminded today that through the muck and mire, through the storms or life, we are being perfected and even though we appear dirty we are actually being made clean… The will of God is that you are molded into perfection so that you can be used for His glory and reach the heights of His will for your life…

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” You must know today that God’s image is perfect, you were made in perfection; you were fashioned and formed just the way God wanted you to be… We must keep that in mind when people try and talk bad about us, we must keep these thoughts in our minds when people try to bring us down or when we find ourselves dealing with trials and tribulations… Through Paul’s letter to the church of Thessalonica we are being called to action and encouraged to keep marching forward… God is calling every Christian out of there comfort zone. He doesn’t want us to become comfortable or complacent in our everyday life. We are constantly fighting a spiritual battle. Knowing that God has called you to holiness is important, because the devil wants you to believe that there is nothing good inside you… Satan wants you to accept your current possession and wallow in your misery… You have a choice to make today, if you believe that God loves you than you strive to advance His kingdom and be made whole… If you don’t believe that you are loved, than you simply keep doing the things that you are doing… God desires perfection; this perfection is not in your walk, but in your desire and heart… God is calling you to a higher level and holding you to a higher standard… You have been dirty long enough, your life has been filled with filth long enough, it’s time to examine some of your closet friends, it’s time for you to examine some of your decisions, it’s time to examine some of the places you go and it’s time for you to realize that God doesn’t want to see you in your current place… Jesus has gone to prepare a place for you, this place is beyond the beauty we could imagine or sketch with a pen and pad, and this place will be perfect; without flaws or defects… If God doesn’t care for you, why would He spend so much time setting the table for your arrival? Knowing that you are called to holiness you must understand that you have been set apart, you have been sanctified by the Holy Ghost… It’s time for you to walk in the beauty and splendor of God’s love and admiration… When someone once to look beautiful or handsome they spend time getting ready, women apply making, guys shave; either way there is work to be done… If you don’t think you are beautiful, than you roll out of bed, put close on and walk out the door… God wants you to stop rolling out of bed and discover your inner beauty… He’s called you to holiness; He made a choice to tell you that there is something different about you… Christ gave His life for you, that in and of itself should tell you how beautiful you are… Stop devaluing yourself and walking in uncleanness… Jesus drank the cup of pain, suffering and death so that you wouldn’t have too… He didn’t do it because He had to, but because you were worth the sacrifice… Examine your life today for the unclean and impure, keep your guard up and continue to strive for the best, after all, that is why Christ came for and that is what God EXPECTS of you…

BE BLESSED!!!