Did God Really Say “Be Holy?”

This post is a summary of the 2nd week of New Start 15, an emphasis on God’s call to His children to be holy. Click here for the summary of Week One.

If your children – or your husband for that matter – are anything like mine, they have “selective hearing.” That means they choose to hear only what’s to their liking. For instance, they will hear you say, “I’m making your favorite dish for dinner tonight,” but they won’t hear, “You have to finish your homework before you watch television.”

We may shake our heads at this phenomenon, but sometimes we do the same thing with God. We tend to have “selective hearing” when it comes to His call to holiness.

Did God really say…?

Remember when Satan whispered words of doubt to Eve underneath the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:1)? We often ask ourselves the same question:

Did God really say, “Be holy, because I am holy?” (1 Peter 1:16 & Leviticus 11:44).

New Start 15 Week Two in Review

For the past five days – the second week of New Start 15 – we have clarified God’s call to His children to be holy. Scripture leaves no room for doubt. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve learned about God’s call this week:

• Monday: God’s calls us to holiness so we will reflect His holy character to a lost world.
  • Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-25
  • Blogs: Carla McDougal, Lori Wildenberg, & Julie Sanders at The MOM Initiative
• Tuesday: God calls us to purposeful holiness for our spiritual good.
  • Passage: 1 Timothy 4:7-16
  • Blogs: Lindsey Bell
• Wednesday: Our holiness is so important to God, Jesus died to make it possible.
  • Passage: Romans 6:1-14
  • Blogs: Kimberly Sowell & Lori Wildenberg at The MOM Initiative
• Thursday: We please God when we answer His call to holiness.
  • Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 & Ephesians 4:25-32
  • Blogs: Julie Sanders
• Friday: Our holiness is a partnership with God – we supply the effort and God supplies His power!
  • Passage: 2 Peter 1:3-11
  • Blogs: Angela Mackey & Kathy Howard

Preview of New Start 15 Week 3

In the 3rd week of New Start 15 (January 20-23) we will discover how we can practically live out God’s call to holiness in our everyday lives. This is where the “rubber meets the road!” Here are a few highlights:

• Practical holiness starts with true repentance. What does it look like?
• What we put in our minds affects our behavior. How can we guard our minds and thought life so we can pursue holiness?
• How do we “follow the Spirit” who supplies the power to live a godly life?

Missed part of New Start 15?

Here are a few things to help you join in!

• Original Invitation to New Start 15
• Bible reading plan
• New Start 15 Facebook group
• Daily Blog Schedule
• List of Suggested Resources

These last two weeks have been exciting! What have you learned about holiness? Have you made any new or renewed commitments to our holy God?

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