Why the Call to Holiness Equals a Call to Wholeness
The call to holiness for a Christian is a call to wholeness. The most important take-away for me from L.I.F.E. Bible College was Jack Hayford's teaching on holiness and wholeness. They mean the same thing.Pastor Jack drummed into his students the practical reality of holiness as the recreating of a person into wholeness—spirit, soul, and body.One of the best examples of this is found in John 5-7 where Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath—the most holy day of the week.I think he did it on purpose, because when the Pharisees accuse him of breaking the Sabbath law, he counters their argument by connecting the holiness of the Sabbath with the wholeness of a man.
Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath? (John 7:23 NIV).
The call to holiness
Holiness/wholeness is what God wants to do in us—make us whole, complete, and healthy in our minds, emotions, and body, so that we are like Jesus.This means God gives us a new spirit, provides healing for our body, and is working with us to renew our mind and emotions to think and feel as he does.As we grow more and more intimate with Jesus, his wholeness naturally flows out of us towards others. A spiritual legacy is built. Obviously it is God's legacy we are building as he works wholeness/holiness in us and through us, but it also our story.He is building his legacy through us.
This is the story we pass on to others
My Thursday Therapy posts are part of my story given to you. If I hold onto Jesus, the Word made flesh, in such a way that brokenness is processed with the Spirit and the Word into wholeness/holiness, I should pass it on.If Jesus can make a difference in my life, he can do it in yours too. Thus his legacy becomes mine, and my legacy is all about him.How's your intimacy level with God? Is Jesus your source for healing the innermost parts of you? Is the resulting wholeness/holiness touching others?Hard questions, I know, but worth considering.Blessings as you grow in Jesus, SusanRelated posts:How to Handle RejectionWhat God Thinks When You Are Not Feeling Good EnoughHow to Cleanse Your Mind With a Mind DetoxPaul Ellis from Escape to Reality gives a wonderful overview of holiness and wholeness in his post What Is Holiness? It Is Better Than You Think."Jesus likes it when we share." -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody's brother, but you know . . . all of your friends would be nice.