A survey published several years ago by the Barna Group indicates that most American evangelicals don’t consider themselves to be holy.
The report states:
• 76% believe it is possible for someone to become holy, regardless of their past.
• 55% say they know someone they consider to be holy.
• 29% actually consider themselves to be holy.
It appears that believers are more convinced of their connection to their old nature than their new nature. They’re more aware of their acts of sinfulness than their acts of righteousness, more aware of their failures than their successes.
In a sense, I suppose this makes sense.
In one’s journey toward holiness, the ugliness of sin sticks out more than ever — like a wrong chord played in the middle of a masterpiece. It is this very awareness of sin that drives us to reject it, to fight it, and to abandon it.
But let’s not let this awareness define us. Though you still struggle with the old nature, it is essential to remember that who you really are is defined by the gift of grace that God has lavished upon you.
Hebrews 10:10 says that we have been made holy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
And then, Hebrews 10:14 says that through this sacrifice we are being made holy.
The first reference describes who you are: Holy, as declared by God.
The second reference describes the person you are being shaped to become: Conformed to the image of Christ.
Your struggles with sin — the fact that you are engaged in this struggle at all — indicates what God has already done in your life … and where he is taking you today.
For this reason we must learn to see ourselves as God sees us: New creatures, created in Christ Jesus to become the righteousness of God.
That’s who you really are.
© 2008/2024. This post originally appeared at PreachingLibrary.com
