5 Key Things It Takes To Live a Holy Life || by Precious C Philip

Hebrews 12:14b tells us to work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. This tells us that we might be going to church, serving in church, praying and fasting, reading the Bible, giving tithes and offering, helping the poor, sharing Christian quotes on social media, and doing all kinds of noble acts and religious activities - we might even be born again, believe in God, preach the gospel, speak in tongues, and "follow" Jesus, but if we're not living holy lives, we have no hope of spending eternity with God in His kingdom. 

Living a holy life is indispensable in making heaven. I know a lot of "Christians" believe that it's not possible to live holy in this vicious and morally depraved generation, but nothing could be further from the truth; because if you're one of such people - what you're saying in actual fact when you make such false statement is that God is a BULLY and that God is not OMNISCIENT (all-knowing). You imply that God is a bully because only bullies instruct their subjects to do the impossible - what they know is clearly impossible to do. But we know such is not true about our loving God who is gracious, good, kind and tender-hearted. You also infer that God is not omniscient (all-knowing) otherwise He should have known that living a holy life would be impossible in this generation and so should not have given such commandment in the Bible for us to obey. This also is a fallacy because God is indeed Omniscient. So any time you're tempted by the devil to think or say that holy living is not possible today, remember that you're outrightly saying that God is a bully and He is not omniscient. I'm sure you wouldn't want to say such about the Most High God. 

Now, what does it really mean to live holy? Living holy is simply living in complete obedience to all the commandments and instructions of God, and willingly and joyfully doing the revealed will of God in the Bible. Holiness is complete adherence to the commandments of God. Our loving God has provided us with everything we need to successfully live a holy life on earth because He knows we cannot do it by our own strength. Here are the five major things provided by God for you and I to effectively live a holy life after being born again by the Holy Spirit:

1. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4). He is the One who sanctifies us. He is the One who enables us to resist temptations and live a holy life. One of the ways He does this is by bringing to our remembrance the words of God (scriptures) whenever we're tempted so we can withstand the temptation (John 14:26). This means that the Holy Spirit needs the word of God to be in us - to be hidden in our hearts to really help us. This is why we must load ourselves with the word of God, so that when we're confronted with any temptation, the Holy Spirit will immediately bring to our remembrance what the word of God says about that temptation  -He'll take the scriptures and place them right before us, thereby releasing unto us the power embedded in the word for our victory over temptations. 

2. The Word of God (the Holy Bible): Everyone who reads and studies the Bible regularly will tell you that the more they feed on God's word, the less attractive sin becomes to them. If you don't study your Bible daily, it will be impossible for you to live holy. Fall in love with God’s word and it will be easy to live a holy life. Remember, the Holy Spirit needs the word of God to be in you before He can help you remember them and use them to overcome in the face of temptations like Jesus did when He was tempted (see Matthew 4:1-11).You do your part to read and He does His part to help you remember. If you fail to do your part first, He'll not do His part. 

3. Personal prayer and Fellowship with other brethren: In prayer, we receive power and are strengthened by the Lord to withstand temptations and live a holy life. Immense power is released to us and our spiritual battery is fully charged when we constantly engage in fervent heartfelt prayers. Fellowshipping with other brethren is a blessing from God that helps us strengthen, uplift, support, and edify one another with the word of God and with joint prayers and communal service to God. 

4. Meditation and Memorizing scriptures: What you meditate on and for how long you meditate on it has an effect on your lifestyle. If you must live holy, you must continually meditate on the holy scriptures day and night. That is why God instructed Joshua to meditate on His word day and night in Joshua 1:8. You should also not stop at meditating on God's word daily; you must also memorize it. When you memorize scriptures everyday, it will be difficult for you to commit sin. David said in Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” There is enormous power in memorizing scriptures you've meditated on and understood. For whenever you're tempted to sin, it is the word of God you know that will restrain you and immediately embolden you to resist sin. If you know no word, you'll easily give in, but if you're fully loaded with the word of God, you will be victorious. 

5. Accountability/Godly friendships: "Stay away from lusts which tempt young people. Pursue what has God's approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22) If you have godly friends around you and keep company with those who're striving to live holy lives like you, you'll live holy - because they'll spur you on to live holy, challenge you, encourage you, support you, help you rise when you fall into sin, give you godly counsel and keep watch over you, and you'll be accountable to them. But if you keep company with ungodly friends - those who doubt the possibility of holy living in this present age, those who aren't striving to live holy, you will not live holy no matter how much you try. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17) You need an "iron friend" to sharpen you, not a "wood friend". 

As you embrace these five things, you'll find yourself successfully living holy. And if you continually follow them, you will begin to live like Christ and succeed as He did.

God bless you.