Making Holiness Irresistible

A pure heart! Moral cleanliness! A life without sin!  I hope one day that I can say, “yep, that’s me!”  One day, I hope to be under the absolute tyranny of the holy.

Now I realize that the word “tyranny” carries a negative connotation, yet its meaning is not really that far off from what I desire as it relates to God’s rulership in my life.  By definition, tyranny refers to a government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power.  It refers to the office, authority, or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler who holds unmitigated power.  Therefore, holy tyranny means the absolute rule of God over my life. And, yes, that is what I want—the tyranny of the holy in my moment-by-moment life, from this second forward until I breathe my first breath of air in the eternal kingdom and then “to infinity and beyond!”

So how can I personally surrender to that kind of dominating rulership of God over me? First off, and very simply, I need to invite God to have unchallenged control in my life.  Though he is Master of the Universe, he never violates the human will—so I must invite his rule.

Secondly, I ought to think once-in-a-while—perhaps a lot—about the judgment of God. I know it is not popular to think of God as a God of judgment these days, but the truth is, He is holy, and there will be a payday someday for sin.  That sobering reality, even if it is negative in the minds of some, isn’t a bad motivation to do what is right.  It should not be the only motivation, but I must learn to think of sin in my life as a clear and present danger to the purposes God has for me in eternity.

Thirdly, I need to live with an awareness that the time is drawing near for Christ’s return.  Jesus is coming back—perhaps even today.  The signs are clear and his promised return is certain.  In view of that, II Peter 3:11-12,14 says,

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

And finally, I must begin to think of holiness in terms of its present joy.  Holiness is not a bland, restrictive concept.  The devil has done a good job redefining holiness in that light.  True holiness, as C.S. Lewis pointed out, is not “dull”.  In fact, Lewis goes on to say, “When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible.” It is time for Christians like you and me to discover, practice and model real, irresistible and, yes, fun, holiness!

That is how you invite the tyranny of the holy into your life.  As you and I increasingly allow that kind of dominating rulership to hold sway over us, the other kind of tyranny—the tyranny of selfish and sinful behavior—will be the biggest loser.

“My God, keep me through the water and fire, and let me rather die than live to sin against thee!” ~Francis Asbury

Winning At Life:

Take a moment to invite God to institute the tyranny of the holy in your life.  And mean it!