Stop trying and just be

We hear a lot of talk in Christian circles about holiness.  Most of that talk revolves around the call for Christians to be holy and very little is said about the holiness of Almighty God.  A lot of judgement gets thrown around regarding peoples actions and the Body of Christ is exhorted continuously to examine ourselves.  I say "STOP IT!"

Stop trying to be holy and just be in Christ.  Stop working to change your habits and striving to live a godly life.  Stop trying to do it all on your own and just giving lip service to the Spirit of God within you.  All too often we set out by our own strength to please God and tack on a spiritual phrase like "I know that the Spirit must do it in me."  God doesn't want credit for your work.  It's like a bloody tampon to Him, it's disgusting.  If you want to brag about your bloody tampon you go right ahead, but don't tell everyone that God gave it to you.

Holiness is not defined by what we do, it is defined by who we are.  So who are we?  We are the elected and chosen bride and body of Christ.  The God of the universe dwells within us and we in Him.  We are kind of His own kind.  We are one with Him.  That means we ARE holy.  Holiness is who we are and it shows in what we do.  When we do unholy things it is because we forget who we are.  We do not need to try harder to become holy.  We need to trust and to rest in Christ.  We must let His righteousness be our righteousness.

The Christian life can be summed up as being followers of the Way, the Christ.  When Christ walked on earth He only did what His Father was doing.  He did the will of the Father.  He remained in steady communication with our Father while in the likeness of sinful flesh.  That is what He has come into us to bring about.  A race of mankind that are all living by the Spirit of God within us.  To be one in the Spirit with God is to be One corporate New Man.  This is known as living by Divine Life.

Please, stop performing all sorts of soulical acts by the power of your flesh and assuming that you are glorifying God.  Rest from your work and seek the Spirit of the Lord who resides in the temple within you.  You simply cannot work to be holy, you are already holy in Christ.  His identity is your identity.  Salvation is all God's work from start to finish.  It begins with faith and repentance and it ends with the full measure of Jesus Christ.  Christ in you, the hope of glory.