A Holy Goal
The apostle Paul wanted in the worst way to please the Lord. He made a promise to the Lord to present those in his charge to Christ as pure virgins (2 Corinthians 11:2). To do this Paul was often exhorting and rebuking the saints to a higher and loftier standard than they had known previously.
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Ephesians 4:17-19).
When you repented of your sins and asked Christ to forgive you and come into your life, you gave up your old self which was corrupted by deceitful desires and was separated from the life of God. Now you should be renewing your mind with the Word and living as a new creation who has been saved “to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
True righteousness is doing what is in agreement with God’s standards and being in a proper relationship with Him. True holiness is doing what is in accordance with the divine standard. A goal for all of us who claim Christ as Lord and Savior is to be presented to Him as a pure spiritual virgin –– faithful to Him and His Word.
- Jim Weikal
