Through His Word, and the availability of it, God has made every provision to ensure that we can obtain knowledge about Him and His plan for us. One of the things that we learn from the very beginning, in the Book of Genesis, is that God is Holy, and everything He does is created out of His holiness. Genesis 2:1-3(NLT) tells us, “1 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” His declaration of purity, perfection, and power is woven throughout His entire creation, and it gives us assurance that when we put on His nature, His blessings cannot help but follow. 1Peter 1:16(NLT) tells us, “For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” When we confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead, our faith in God was expressed to Him through this confession and belief. Our faith in God and His finished work for us through Christ transferred us from death to life. Colossians 1:13-14(NLT) says, “13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” Jesus Christ made it possible for us to put on God's nature and live in it every moment of our lives. Our Heavenly Father has placed His Holy Spirit within us, and because of the Spirit’s power, we can do all the good things that God planned for us as we follow the example of Jesus Christ. This is our highest and greatest privilege, and it is God's expectation and desire for us all.This is Good News indeed! God has given us a place in His Kingdom, and because we are united with Christ through the new birth experience, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. Someone might ask, “If all this has been done for me through Jesus Christ, and I've been blessed with all spiritual blessings, why am I having such a hard time in life?” Our journeys on this earth can be very challenging, this is true. And sometimes we endure tribulations, but our individual circumstances will never diminish the reality of God's justice, power, righteousness, holiness, and perfection. God never has to do a do-over, take-back, or back-track. He does everything perfect from the very beginning. God has blessed us all exceedingly above what we could ever ask or think, and He requires us to apply our faith and put on the newness we have received in Christ. He has united us with Christ and made us His children. 2Corinthians 5:17(NLT) says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” We’ve received the faith and power to be more than conquerors. We’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing, and we have received God’s fail-proof armor against anything tribulation or trouble the enemy throws our way. Our problem is that we're very slow to put on all that God has provided. We don’t fully digest the heft of His provision, and because of this, we may not have the spiritual maturity to strengthen our relationships when they are at their weakest. Romans 5:5(NLT) tells us, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” The love of God is powerful, and it is expressed through our commitment to live holy lives that please Him. This is the glue that holds our relationships together. It encompasses the forgiveness, compassion, gentleness, honesty, and loyalty that preserves them. Sadly, many of us don’t consistently practice the discipline of the love of Christ and renew our minds to what God says. We become easily offended because we are not relying on our faith in Christ, but we are participating in our relationships based on feelings rather than the actions of love.
Love is infinitely more than feelings. Love is actions that are expressed through the holiness of Christ. So, true and genuine love will always require us to dig deeper into the Spirit’s reservoir within. Through the Spirit, God has empowered us to handle the disagreements, disappointments, unreasonable expectations, selfishness, and all the other issues that relationships bring to the surface. He commands us in 1Peter 3:8(NLT), “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” He means for us to get this done. As Spirit-filled brothers and sisters of Christ, we should be supporting and caring for all our relationships in this holy and tender way. Holiness is a quality that is beautifully unique to our omnipotent, omniscient and sovereign God. He created us in His image, and through Christ, He has restored, redeemed, and made us holy. To preserve our relationships in the holiness of God in Christ, we must study His Word, renew our minds, and be diligent to pray for the individuals as well as the unity of our marriages and other relationships. We simply must change the way we think and follow the Spirit as he leads us in holiness. When we make this our commitment and practice, our relationships will be continually energized by God's love and preserved by our humility and obedience to Him.■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Preserving Our Relationships with Holiness”, written by Vince Mack. Blessing Beads and More© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.