Hebrews 12:14 KJV
[14] Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
There is a call upon every life that lays claim to knowing God. It is one thing to know about God and be able to speak about Him; it is a completely different thing to be known and backed up by Him. The Bible is full of stories of men and women at different stages of their lives who handled God one way or the other and got the consequences their actions deserved. We read of these men today and we are made aware of what God's expectations are for us. He leaves us in no doubt as to His demands, and we will not have any excuse for not living up to His standards. He will also not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for, but be sure that if He gives you, He will demand an account. As I live my life daily, I have to be conscious of this fact. I am not living to please anyone else, but the only One whose opinion counts.
His minimum standard is holiness, because that is His nature. He demands that from all who claim to know and seek Him. How can I call on someone whose demands I do not respect or heed, and expect Him to do for me all I ask Him for? How can I choose my own life's pursuits and priorities, and then somehow expect God to rubberstamp my ideas? Submission means a complete break from the old life, and taking on and living by the instructions of a new master. It cannot be half of both, or a little here and a little there. That is being lukewarm, which, as the letter to the church in Laodicea lays out clearly, God would have no use for that kind of person. You cannot sit on the fence of indifference, as there is none. Claiming to be indifferent is in itself a choice. Knowing who I am defines for me what I am required to do. Do you know who you are?
Following peace means knowing who peace is. Peace is first a person, before it can become a lifelong commitment. It is also not surprising that there is a combination of peace with holiness, because you cannot separate the two. I cannot pick up one attribute of God and reject the other. I cannot break God into parts and try and fit Him into convenient parts of my life. I can either let Him into every area of my life or just lock Him out of every area. When God says no man shall see him without being holy, please take it very seriously. Have you ever proven God to be a liar in any way? Is there any word from Him that you have proven to be false? If there is none, then be sure that this one too will not fail, fall or falter. God is true to His Word, and as He made clear to Jeremiah, He is watching over His Word and will perform it. If I will see Him, I have to live like Him. Again, grace is available for all His demands. God's time of favour is here.
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