Embracing Holiness: Understanding the Call to Be Holy as God Is Holy 7-20-26

How Saints ought to conduct themselves.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-13).

One day and I believe Jesus is coming soon,  the warning is to get our house in order and conduct ourselves in a way that we will not be ashamed when Jesus returns. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2:28).

Let’s look at the word ABIDE. Jesus also used it:  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). Abide means to remain or continue; this has nothing to do with salvation; it has to do with staying in fellowship with our Father.  

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:5-6). This means practical (to practice holiness); to walk in the truth; to work out our salvation; this is the process of spiritual growth or maturity.

We have been positioned into holiness by God, but we are we required to live our lives according to His Word.  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech [urge] you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called (Ephesians 4:1).

This is an example of someone not abiding: The prodigal son walked away from his father but he returned, and his father welcomed him with  open arms. Read Luke 15:11-31. He was his father’s son; which means he was always in relationship. When the father said his son was lost and now he was found, I believe it meant that the son got lost in his love for the world, but eventually he saw that his worldly experience meant nothing compared to being in the awesome fellowship with his father.

Verse 24- this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Even though the son got caught up acting (conducting himself) like the world (dead, lost), the father and son relationship never changed.

You see he was sealed by the Holy Spirit, and so are we. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? We make him sad when we fall into sin, yet we are still sealed.

When we walk away (get out of fellowship with our Father), He never leaves us. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b).

Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org