HOW DO I BECOME MORE HOLY?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Hoe word ek meer en meer heilig?
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone wrote to me and I shortened the question slightly:
“How can I become more holy?"
Sometimes people can answer a question in a very complicated manner. I have however attempted, with God’s Light and insight, to explain this question to you in an understanding and uncomplicated manner and hope that I have succeeded.
For me, the uncomplicated answer when someone asks me how to be more holy is the following:
If I have truly repented and adopted Jesus Christ as my Saviour, then my life quest should be to live more and more according to Jesus’ principles. But I immediately also remember that Jesus is God and became human:
JOHN 1:1-5:
1 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
2 “He existed in the beginning with God.”
3 “God created everything through Him.”
4 “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.”
5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
JOHN 1:14: “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
I will never be able to live my life as holy as Jesus did, but to help me to live more holy, I must now remember that Jesus' Spirit lives in me. Now it’s no longer I that live, but He who lives in me and I must allow His Holy Spirit to help me to be more like Him.
GAL 2:20: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Of course, I'm not going to get it quite right in this life, but I must endeavour to get as close as humanly possible:
PHI 3:12-14:
12 “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.”
13 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,”
14 “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
As I have already said – we cannot be like Jesus in this life because of our sinful human nature, but we should work towards becoming more like Him as humanly possible. Ultimately, however, if we strive and have this outlook through our lives, into our eternal life stage, we will, like Jesus, win over many souls for His kingdom and, how wonderful, would one day become like Him:
1 JOHN 3:2: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.”
1 JOHN 3:3: “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.”
1 PETER 1:15-19:
15 “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.”
16 “For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favourites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So, you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time here as temporary residents.”
18 “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.”
19 “It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
But undoubtedly Satan will try to make me live an unholy life and, in the process, will attempt to completely destroy my spirit:
1 PETER 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
1 PETER 5:9: “Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
So, I am therefore forewarned against Satan and I am sure that I fall far, far short in this pursuit of following the example of Jesus’ holiness – but it is my mission in life to see how close to it I can come and I remind myself often, and now again to you, on what I quoted earlier:
PHI 3:13-14:
13 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past (what satan regularly wants to remind me of, trying to break me down) and looking forward to what lies ahead,”
14 “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
1 PETER 5:10: “In His kindness God called you (this is you who now are reading this writing) to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So, after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you (all Jesus’ followers )on a firm foundation.”
1 PETER 5:11: “All power to Him forever! Amen.”
Greetings,
Sakkie