Seek Holiness to Become God's Child

God calls everyone to be his children. He shows no partiality.

However, we reject the calling when we don’t choose holiness.

We cannot say we choose God when we don’t give due importance to righteousness.

We cannot become the children of God, when we don’t seek purity.

God calls us but are we responding to the call by choosing to do what is right?

Even if we don’t have the strength to be perfect, do we at least have the desire to be pure?

God knows that no one is perfect; but, he helps those who are willing to make an attempt.

 

Holiness cannot be achieved by our own strength.

It requires an aggressive surrender to God in every walk of life – in thought, word and deed.

Are we willing to surrender ourselves to God so that he can make us holy?

Are we willing to try to desire holiness so that we can become God’s children?

God is waiting for us. Our life is a test that is made of moral choices.

We may not be able to be perfect; but are we willing to try with God’s help.

Jesus is willing to shape us to perfection if we let him to.

Deny Self and Find Life in God

I cannot live for myself and God at the same time.

The desires of the self are never in harmony with the desires of God.

If I want to choose God, I need to reject/deny myself.

The desires of the self are pride, greed, pleasure and so on.

The desires of God are compassion, grace, sacrifice and so on.

Both desires cannot co-exist in a person.

One cannot deny oneself without the help of God.

It takes a lot of effort, sincerity and prayer time to understand the truth and joy of self-denial.

Just like Christ died for us to give us life, we need to die to ourselves (our carnal self) to receive the life that God is waiting to offer us.

Let us earnestly seek God’s grace in our effort to die to ourselves – so that we may find life everlasting in God.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. - Matthew 16:24

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. -  Galatians 2:20

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. – John 12:24

Why do Good People Suffer - 1

Suffering gets us close to God – like nothing else.

It puts us in a position to have a real relationship with him.

For a man to have a relationship with God, he has to be humble.

A relationship with God is not a relationship between equals – it is a relationship between the creator and the creation –an absolutely profound relationship that is only possible when man takes his rightful place of a creation in front of the creator. It is a position of absolute humility.

God cannot have a relationship with a proud person – it is just against the truth and God is Truth.

Suffering puts us in a position of humility and neediness. A position that makes our hearts open itself to God.

Suffering gives us what it is required to establish an eternal spiritual connection with God.

God created us to be his children, to take comfort from him, to flourish on his love – which is the living water that quenches the thirst of our soul.

God designed us to thrive on his love. This purpose can be achieved only when man comes like a child to God.

Suffering pushes us to develop a childlike trust and neediness towards God - a personality that makes it possible for God to interact with.

God does not create suffering but sometimes he does not stop suffering in the lives of the people he loves in order to get their attention.

In the end, our present suffering is temporary; but God wants to use it to mold us and make us worthy of eternal bliss.