Live in Holiness

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship” (Romans 12:1 TPT).

Paul asked the question as to how we should live in response to God’s great grace. He then answered the question by calling us to surrender our lives to God, to become His “sacred, living sacrifices.” All of our lives are to be lived to reflect His story of redemption. Salvation is revealed in changed lives and a new direction. We live to honor God and the life-change is an act of worship!

God is delighted when those He has redeemed from sin live in holiness, allowing God’s holy presence to guide our decisions and direct our steps. By living in holiness we will experience “all that delights his heart.” A life that is lived pleasing God becomes a life of true worship. God’s presence is not only living inside, but is reflected outwardly for all to see our heart-felt devotion for God. 

When we walk in spiritual dedication and discipline before God, we live in holiness. This is our passion to be a living sacrifice, holy and accepted by Him.  

How do we live in holiness as humans? The text instructs us to, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1 NIV). Our greatest act of worship is bring honor to God in our bodies and in our spirit! Paul wrote that we should, “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV). Another translation said, “Because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us” (2 Corinthians 7:1 TPT).


Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).