Abba Father Glory: Preparation = Holiness and Love

A Christians call is a call to holiness and perfection. I know. When we read the word 'perfection', most of us inwardly cringe - not because we don't like it, but because we feel we can never measure up to such an absolute.
But let us look at it in a different perspective through the eyes of the word.

2 Peter 1 :3-7

The Christian’s Call and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

When we read these words of Peter, we understand that the way to pursue perfection and avoid corruption in this world is through the great promises of Jesus -- divine power. We no longer need rely on our own power, but on his sanctifying grace! Drawing upon this sanctifying grace through Christ Jesus we are asked to build our faith with goodness, and support goodness with knowledge of God and all things God wants us to know. We need to support knowledge with self-control and self-control with endurance or maybe patience. Then finally we embellish all this with godliness, mutual affection and love.

All of this begins with a decision. A decision to transform ourselves into the rightful heirs of the Kingdom of God - as sons and daughters of the most high God and as siblings to Jesus as confirmed in Romans 8:28-30

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

We are not called to be conformed to the image of this world and its desires. We are called to be conformed to the image of JESUS! How awesome is that! This is a very real call. Our destiny in fact. If you have been called according to His purpose, this is your destiny! That is why Paul says in Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

What does Paul mean by the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.?

Is that true? Shall we not see God through faith or through works as many argue both ways about it?

For this we need to understand the nature of God. God is the embodiment of all the forces of nature and beyond. His presence is fearsome and glorious. Unless refined as silver and tested as gold we cannot come into His presence. For man to see God, God must be able to see His Son in us.

THAT is why the only begotten Son, in whose image and likeness we were created took human form.

THAT is why he shared the Good News by announcing to the world that we are the sons and daughters of His Father.

And That is why He died a gruesome death for our sins so that we will all be eligible to gain entry into heaven.

His death made us all, all of mankind, eligible for a free entry into heaven. But that doesn't mean that heaven can become the abode of the wile and dirty scum of the earth. We need to leave the earth behind. We need to leave the foulness of this earthly life behind. We need to believe in Jesus Christ and draw from Him the graces to be Holy as He was holy.

John 1:12-13 says 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

Let us use this power to be the child of God which is possible only through Christ. And this power leads to holiness, godliness and love.

In holiness and love - the Kingdom of God will be among us.
In holiness and love - we will be rich toward God.
In holiness and love alone - can we be joyous and jubilant when the Son of Man comes. Otherwise we may become the corpses that the vultures will feed on.