theamenministry

The late Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, once wrote, “There are no shortcuts to holiness.”  She is right, but sometimes I wish there were shortcuts.  For example, wouldn’t it be nice if there were, “three steps to holiness”, or if there was a holiness pill you could take and instantly become “Super-Christian”!  But, as you know, there exists no such thing.

Only God can make you holy.  Only the Holy Spirit can make you more like Jesus.  You and I cannot live the Christian life in our own ability, but Jesus can live His life in us and through us.  Holiness isn’t a formula to follow or a state of moral perfection that we can create.  It is the life-long, daily process of the Holy Spirit making you more like Jesus.  The Holy Spirit transforms us more and more into the image, the likeness of Jesus Christ, and that takes time.  The Divine Sculptor, the Holy Spirit, takes the hammer and chisel of the Word of God and chips away everything in our lives that doesn’t look like Jesus.  We must have the desire and we must daily choose this separation from the world and the flesh and separation unto the Lord, but even the desire must come from the Lord.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13)

Everyday you and I must choose death to self.  For a life of holiness, it is self on the cross and Christ on the throne of our hearts.  We choose the resurrection life of Jesus as our own.  The Risen Christ in us is our hope of glory and our only hope of holiness.

As I stated earlier, this takes time.  Satan would love for you to get discouraged and give up.  He would love for you to try to find a shortcut.  God, however, is not growing a squash out of your life; He desires to grow us into, “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)

There are no shortcuts on the Highway of Holiness.  It is a journey of walking with Jesus and walking in newness of life, His Life, everyday.  It is the road that you and I need to be traveling on.

In Christ’s service,

Allen