Political parties often refer to their platform as the foundation on which their messages are built. A platform is made up of various planks – the key pieces of structure that undergird the position and message. Well, similarly in distilling the message of holiness there are a few planks in the platform that are really critical.
Holiness is the nature of God reflected in and through your life. Not activity that we strive to perform. Not a list of things to do. It’s a reflection of God, who is pure holiness. It begins with God. Any attempt to make holiness something we work for places the initiative upon us and we are then tempted to take the credit making God ancillary. Holiness is endemic to God’s nature. To the extent we are in close proximity to God and open to the influence of His nature, we are holy as He is holy. A reflection of His image – as we were created!
Salvation is the restoration of the image of God in us. We don’t begin with Genesis 3 – the fall. We begin where God began, in Genesis 1 – being created in God’s image. The second Adam, Christ, provides the means to restore the damage of the first Adam. With that as our starting point, admitting the effects of sin have caused a breach in relationship, salvation is not a means to manage sin but the Way to restoration. It is hopeful, optimistic and generous in encouraging people back home to the condition in which they were envisioned by God. In that restoration, the brokenness of our fallen lives is made whole again – as we were created!
The singular act of the will is to surrender. Accepting that we are broken, fallen, and sinful, but recognizing the possibility to be made whole again the human will plays a key role. Though we may sin God’s holiness and His call for us to reflect that holiness provides us with the possibility to NOT sin. This is not enacted by achievement or disciplined behavior – especially legalistic behavior. Rather, it is appropriated by God in us when we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s complete influence. Because this holiness is really God’s nature and unachievable by us, our singular recourse is surrender to the sanctifying effect of the Holy God making us holy once again – as we were created!
Such a vision of being fully human! Holy as we were created. Not a pipe dream, but a reality now.
In the joy of holiness,
Kevin