God has chosen me in Christ before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and blameless before him . . . . (Ephesians 1:4)
My dad often criticized those who procrastinated or made excuses for neglecting their responsibilities. He called them “can’t men” because they often said, “I can’t . . . .” when it was obvious that they could.
However, there is a “can’t” that is not an excuse but true. No human being can be holy and blameless before God. We all fall short, and we all need a Savior. My efforts to save myself are useless; this task belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. My part is admitting that I cannot do it.
Christ came into my life to be for me what I could not be myself. That is, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He put me “in Christ” and sees me that way, not in my condition but in the holiness and blamelessness purity of His Son.
Yet everyone knows that Christians do not always look, talk, or act like Jesus. Sometimes it’s because I don’t know what Jesus would do, so I let me old way of life jump in and take over. Pride messes with purity. Strong I-wants can blind me to my own selfish behavior. Whatever the reason for my sin and disobedience, I have no excuse. The Bible tells me that I have all I need to live the way God wants me to live — I have Jesus.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3–11)
While I cannot rescue myself, I can practice spiritual disciplines that put me in places of grace. That is, God works in and through cooperation. A yielded life that focuses on Jesus has far more hope of being “holy and blameless” than when I simply do my own thing without talking to Him, reading and studying His Word, having fellowship with other Christians and other spiritual practices that build faith. Last night, a new believer, age 98, told me not to worry about what is going on in the world. “It will just mess you up.” I smiled and said, “Why worry when we can pray.” That is a small example of living as Jesus lived.
Spiritual disciplines are a choice and take diligence, yet they confirm my faith and by practicing them I will “never fall” — a most appealing promise!
I know the process of becoming like Jesus will not be complete until I see Him face to face, but His promises motivate me to “purify myself as He is pure” rather than coasting or fumbling through life.
How do Christians meet that challenge? By prayer, Bible study, and yielding our life to the Spirit’s control. I can commit myself to those priorities each day and seek to fulfill the great purpose to which I’ve been called—the doing of “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Another spiritual discipline not often mentioned but vital to growing in godliness is this: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Keep short accounts. Take note of selfishness and self-rule. Do a study on God’s descriptions of sin. He wants to remove it from my life and make me more like how He sees me — in Christ. These are life-changing practices that open my heart to let Jesus freely transform my life.
MORE: Philippians 1:9–11, Ephesians 1 & 2, 2 Peter 1, Psalm 119:97–105.
P.S. I wrote this early today. Later, the sermon at church was on the same topic and using most of the same verses. Amazing . . . and only God . . .
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