II Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Titus 2:11-4
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Hebrews 12:14
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
As a leader of people – and more importantly, the Lord’s people – I am careful and prayerful to seek Him for direction and a Word from Him for His people. Just as the Lord was selective in biblical times to send specific instructions to specific people through specific spokesmen, I believe He does the same today. For example, Moses was called to lead Israel out of Egypt and introduce the Law of God. By the time the book of Isaiah was written, however, Israel had become a sovereign nation, split after the death of King Solomon. And Judah, the southern kingdom, had once again fallen into a state of apostasy and idolatry. Both messages from Moses and Isaiah are needed. But they were intended for different audiences during different times.
This year the Presiding Bishop of our denomination, Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Sr., has selected a theme that I believe is for all people no matter their location, age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, education or any other demographic you can think of. The call to holy living is a message for all and for all times. It never gets old. It can never be redundant. It is always applicable. Holy living is God’s standard for everyone.
In a time when violence, abuse, bigotry and racism abound, we need to live holy. In a day when 25% of all people suffer from some type of mental disorder, the morality of our world has decayed, and corruption is the norm, we need to live holy. When the institutions we once trusted, our government, schools, marriage, and the church, have failed to maintain our confidence, we need to live holy. There must be a call for the people of God to return to the emphasis of holy living.
We are in the midst of a crisis. Commitment to Jesus Christ is now frowned upon. Unless there is a divine intervention, this generation (and all those that follow) will have no idea what holy living looks like and the benefits of a holy life. We owe this to our parents who were examples for us. We owe this to our children who will inherit what we leave them. We owe this to ourselves, to walk in the calling God created us for. But most of all we owe this to God!
Join Holiness Tabernacle this year as we place great emphasis on the call to holy living!