S - Hebrews 1:1-3, 2:10-11 (NLT): "Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. … And it was only right that God--who made everything and for whom everything was made--should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters."O - Jesus makes us (any who will let him) holy. We do not and cannot make ourselves holy. We cannot sustain this holiness by our own "good deeds". We can only come near and stay near so that Jesus will make, keep and perfect in us the holiness which is the strong family likeness all the children of God share. Holy is not a list of things to not do. It is not a goal for which we aim. It is a state of being we can only receive from the One who alone is Holy. It provokes and inspires activities which are not like us and not like our world (cf. Matthew 5:43-48; 6:1-18). Even these activities do not make us holy; they are the effects of being made holy by Jesus. We can grow and deepen in this holiness because like everything in the Kingdom it is a living and dynamic reality. We cannot produce, replicate or sustain it on our own. It is not from us and not from this world. It is freely given, always available and life changing for those who will.
A - The voice of Jesus is always calling me/us near. Regardless of the content of his message the desired result is always the same. Come to me, follow me, be near me and I will make you … The making of us is not a making us mind or making us stop or making us do something we don't want to do. It is a creating, an empowering, a partnership of being made into all that he died, dreamt and lives for us to be. It exceeds our expectations and hopes for ourselves. It is humble because he won't do so without our cooperation and because we must humble ourselves under his mighty and loving hand to receive. Out of this world and immensely practical in this world those who are being made holy live vibrant, confident and strangely refreshing lives. My/our assignment each day, each circumstance and even moment by moment is come near so I/we can be made holy unto shameless and irrepressible life.
P - Holy Lord,
You are so magnificent! You really have loved us first and most and refuse to change your mind. Thank you insisting and wanting us to come near and stay. Thank you for refusing to be ashamed of us and for enabling us to become more than we think or imagine. Lord, today I will not be able to be holy without your direct touch. Lord, I come near so that you will make me holy - not like this fallen world or even my fallen self but like you and the strong family likeness of our Father. Thank you for coming near us (advent) so that we could come near you and stay.
Daily preparing room,
Steve
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