Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 28, 2019
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7
One of the most persistent messages in our culture today is one of self-affirmation and self-validation. You are perfect just as you are and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! As such, we think the solution to our problems and challenges is found in the quest of self-discovery, being purer versions of our truest selves.
The great affront to this vision is the biblical message of sin and broken desires. We are not by nature what God longs for us to be. We long for things in the deepest core of our being that are disordered desires that lead to death, not to fulfillment. Satisfying our passions for sex, money, and power will not lead us into a life of meaning and purpose but will only harden and solidify the brokenness within.
As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” There are things in my life and yours that are out of alignment with God’s will, like a misaligned car that constantly pulls to the right or left. Yet God in his grace longs to right what is wrong. He loves and accepts us as we are, yet his love is meant to keep us from staying just as we are! He invites us into something new, something profoundly beautiful and good and true.
It is so easy to err on one side or the other. While some of us are tempted to celebrate and embrace every aspect of our lives, others can go to the opposite, fatalistic extreme, which says, “I’m not proud or happy about this, but I am who I am so why hope and believe that it could ever change?” You and I must avoid both of these temptations! Yes, we must learn to see our sin for what it is and ask God for clarity of vision, yet we must also never content ourselves to simply stay just as we are.
God always provides the means for the life he calls us to lead! Though it may feel daunting and overwhelming, you are not alone and you do not have to do this on your own. God gifts countless gifts – friends, family, community, scripture, sacraments, His own Spirit – each inviting us out of isolation and into the life of holiness and abundant living!
Prayer
Father, give us a holy restlessness with our sin, that we may increase in grace and the life of freedom you invite us to live, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
From what sin do you most deeply long to be free? Invite the Lord in prayer to give you the gift of faithful perseverance so you can walk in his ways and live a holy life.
Related Reading
Psalm 119:45; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Peter 2:16
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