Do you REALLY want to be holy?

I really resonate with the phrase, "The Holiness of God." RC Sproul's book of the same title is a book I cut my Reformed teeth on, and I can't wait to see Jesus in his glorious, holy splendor.

And if someone asks me, "Do you want to be holy? So you know, you can glorify God, and stuff?"

I would zealously answer, "YES!"

But... what's that mean, exactly?

Look at this passage with me: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13.

God, through Paul, said to the Christians in Thessalonica, " Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

This is a prayer Paul was praying for these Christians, and it shows us what God's desires are for our growth. Plus, it shows us what God, in his sovereign, ruling, omnipotent grace will do in our lives if we know him.

Notice this, though. The prayer is that we abound in love.

Real quick rabbit trail. The question 'which Greek love word?' frustrates me. As in 'agape' or 'phileo' or whatever. Reason I get angry is because people who apparently don't know New Testament Greek very well are telling people that they need to know Greek to know what the Bible REALLY says, you know, because the scholar-translators were trying to hide things.

The problem is this: if we separate 'love' into different categories (which NT Greek doesn't do - the scholars did it right), we relieve ourselves of some of the obligation which the word carries.

The love that we are to have for each other IS a heartfelt love. It is ALSO passionate commitment. It says, "I enjoy this person so much, because he was created for the glory of God, that I would die for him." It is all 'love' entails.

That's the kind of love we're to have. That's the kind of love Jesus had for us - and saved us through it. And that's the kind of love that God desires to, and to some degree, now, is producing, in us.

But look at the rest of the passage. There's a purpose for this love; a goal. God says, "so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

That's the purpose. Blamelessness. Holiness. And it is something Christ will accomplish - because he died for it. And God doesn't ever say 'whoops.' Jesus didn't die saying, "I sure hope this works."

The overall point is this: a lot of times those of us who emphasize holiness forget about love. Love is THE primary virtue.

And if we emphasize holiness without love - we don't understand holiness. We might even start thinking that we are holy... and sadly... that others are not AS holy as us - and then we will quench love.

But Jesus did love us and died in our place for our living with him forever. It will happen. And we are to love as he loved. And God is the only one who can produce that love, through Jesus Christ, for his glory.

So maybe we should do what Paul does here: pray.

Holy Father,
You are our Creator. You're different from everything else - above it. All glory is owed to you because everything exists because of you.
I admit that I haven't loved well. My emotions don't work like you say they should. My actions don't either, nor do my thoughts. I have broken your 2nd most important commandment, and I am guilty.
But because of Jesus' obedience - his love - and because he died in our places, you consider us as righteous people.
Thank you.
And please do what Paul prayed - make us love well, so that we will be blameless in holiness when Jesus returns in glory.

In his righteousness and blood we pray, and for his glory -
Amen.