Living a holy life in an unholy world

Here's a great question:

Can you live a holy life in an unholy world?

I say, "yes!"

This is important to recognize.

It is important to recognize because the most frustrated person in the world is not the person who is outside of God's kingdom or does not have a connection with God.

The most frustrated person in the world is the follower of Christ who is connected to God and going to heaven, but they have one foot in the world and one foot in God's kingdom.

Trying to life for God and trying to live a life of carnality and a life of self at the same time.

One day they are up in the faith - the other day they are down in the faith.  It is like they are riding a roller coaster.

They have their highs and they have their lows.

They are close enough to have experienced the glory of God in the past - a taste of God's presence, but close enough to the world that they are spiritually dry and spiritually useless.

They are "mugwumps", people who live with their "mug" on one side and their "wump" on the other.  Riding the fence

Pastor James describes this type of person as double-minded.

One day he/she is committed to serving God - the next day that are participating in the things of the flesh.

Paul describes it like this in Romans 7 by saying, "that which I don't want to do, I do, and that which I do - I don't want to do - I am a wretched man and I am miserable."

Yet, you and I can live a holy life.

Why would Paul tell us to put off the old man and put on the new if we can't put off the old man?  Is God somehow trying to stick out a carrot stick in front of us that could never touch - and the result of that is that we are frustrated?

No!

Jesus didn't die on the cross so that we could cope with sin, Jesus died on the cross so that we could have victory over sin.

He died so that we might not only be justified, but that we might be sanctified (I threw in a little bit of theology here to make my blog "legit").

Christ didn't save us so that we could just keep our heads above the cesspool of sin and somehow breathe and survive with a little bit of help until we finally, gasping, crawl into heaven.

We can live a holy life in an unholy world!

We can be "in the world" but not "of the world".

How?

Decide beforehand the choices that you will make.  Before I am in any given situation, I have already decided how I am going to act or react. 

Someone once said, "inner conviction can overcome an outer pressure to compromise."

Secondly, approach each situation with the right attitude.  Enter into each temptation to compromise with the attitude of humility.  Not seeking to condemn others.  Not considering yourself, "holier than thou."

Holiness is not from the outside in but from the inside out. 

Finally, trust God to give you the victory.  God will see your through.  Greater is he that is in us than he who lives in the world.

Just some thoughts for a Thursday.