Look Up!

To the Christian: 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.--- I Peter 2:9

To the non-Christian: "..."Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."--- Romans 10:13

Atheist's Best Kept Secret

Was Einstein an Atheist?

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind am able to reognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

---Albert Einstein

Ray Comfort apologizes for banana illustration

---from www.pulltheplugonatheism.com

Isaac Newton and Atheism

“Atheism is so senseless. When I look a the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”

---Sir Isaac Newton 

Sir Isaac Newton on Atheism

“Atheism is so senseless. When I look a the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”

---Sir Isaac Newton

What Kind of Life Should the Christian Live--- Part II: A Holy Life

A Holy Life



Leviticus 11:44 - I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. (NIV)


Because God is holy, we must be holy. In the Garden of Eden, God made man in His image and in His likeness. This does not only refer to our physical make-up, but to the make-up of our character, as well. Because we are from a holy God, as his children, it must be our nature to be holy people (Ephesians 4:24).


The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1990) defines holy as "sacred", (physically pure, morally blameless, or religious, ceremoniously consecrated), a saint. Furthermore, holiness is the state of sanctity, or being holy".


I Peter 1:13 – 16 says, 13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."[a] (NIV)

Through His life and work, Jesus Christ has established that the Christian has been elected to (Romans 8:29), called to (I Thessalonians 4:7), created in (Ephesians 4:24), and possessed by (I Corinthians 3:16 – 17) holiness.


So, what is does it mean to be holy? To be holy means to live the life that Jesus Christ exampled for us to live concerning each aspect of our lives--- our bodies, our manner of life, and our works. In Romans 8:29-30 (in The Message Bible), we read:

29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.


In other words, God created us to live our lives as Jesus Christ lives because His life is the only life that is acceptable in the eyes of the Holy Living God- furthermore, Jesus Christ’s life is how man’s life was supposed to be when God originally created man. Therefore, we should understand from this that God has given us an example to live by in order to get to heaven – Jesus Christ.

I Peter 1:15 says 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;”. In order to do holy things, the Christian must be holy. This requires the willful denial of the self (and its wants needs and desire as established by the world, the flesh and Satan) and obedience to God’s Word. Here are the Bible’s instructions on how to be holy:


Romans 12 (NIV) reads:

"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.


14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.


17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."


Finally, holiness produces fruitfulness. John 15:1 – 8 says, 1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.


4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.


5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples (NIV).”


A fruit is a product of life. And as the bible shows us, fruitfulness (in the physical world) is dependent upon the right soil Matthew 13:8, Rain (James 5:18), Sunshine (Deuteronomy 33:14),Seasons (Matthew 21:34), Cultivation (Luke 13:8), and God’s blessing (Acts 14:17). However, in the spiritual world (and concerning spiritual things), the Christian’s fruitfulness is dependent upon one’s death to self (John 12:24) so that he can live the new life (Romans 7:4) which abides in Christ (John 15:2 – 8), yields to God (Romans 6:13 - 23) through the Christian’s efforts to live a godly life absent of reprobation (Matthew 21:19).


In our lives, we are to work to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help make those who become Christians into disciples of Jesus Christ who do the same for others. The Christian must edify other Christians. We cannot introduce people to Jesus Christ, or help other Christians unless we first obey God’s commands. It is obedience to God’s Word that produces holiness and fruitfulness – thus, this is one aspect of the life that the Christian should live.