Holiness in Babylon

           In the opening chapter of Ephesians, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him."
           I would like to focus on the phrase "...that we should be holy and blameless before him." There may be nothing considered less in America than holiness for the sake of the glory of the true and living triune God.  Our culture is wrapped up in humanistic hedonism; we have no desire nor room in our lives for God's throne.  We have erected the idle of false hedonism in our hearts. Pleasure promised through the world's many devices has captured our desire. Money, sex, drugs, recreation, entertainment, and a multitude of other things promise fulfillment, and we place our faith in these things. Even many of those belonging to the visible church live as if these things are that for which we were created.  The creation? How petty a thing to worship!
            Men and women were created for so much more: the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. How do we glorify him? Faith! And faith produces the fruit of the Spirit: "...that we should be holy and blameless before him."  Objection: the pursuit of holiness is a difficult journey.
             Answer: (1) "...even as he chose us..." Paul states here and with more clarity in Romans 8 that God chose us by his almighty electing will to not only secure our justification, but our glorification also! It is Christ that died and was risen and is now seated at the right hand of the Father; he has filled us with his Holy Spirit to conform us to his image of holiness! It is the very power that raised Christ from the dead that now dwells in us to fight the good fight! Sanctification is, of course, synergistic; but, that in no way belittles the fact that God has secured our glorification and filled us with his Holy Spirit to grow in holiness!
               Answer: (2) Who builds a tower without first counting the cost? We are at war with our sin nature, the world, and Satan; did you expect it to be easy? If your right eye causes you to sin then pluck it out and cast it from you! Would you rather that your whole body be thrown into hell? Or, in a more modern sense: if your computer causes you to sin then throw it out the window! Would you rather that your whole body be thrown into hell? This is war, not playtime; fight the good fight, equip yourself with the armor of God, make war!
                Remember: Christ in you, the hope of glory! It is by the grace of God that we will grow in sanctification; therefore, pursue the means of grace.