All of us on the day of our salvation have plenty of rough edges – bad habits, sinful ways, grating personalities – what have you. While the direction of our soul now turns to heaven, there is still a life to be lived and the character of Jesus to be replicated increasingly in us as we age. It’s called sanctification – the holy life.
The holy life begins with asking the Holy Spirit to take full control of our life and direction, and the holy life is lived daily with continuing to ask the Spirit to cleanse, fill and lead. In this way our rough edges are sanded off – we grow deeper in the Lord – we resemble the Master more and more as we grow old – just like John.
“These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” John 20:31.
All of us on the day of our salvation have plenty of rough edges – bad habits, sinful ways, grating personalities – what have you. While the direction of our soul now turns to heaven, there is still a life to be lived and the character of Jesus to be replicated increasingly in us as we age. It’s called sanctification – the holy life.
John and his brother James were from a successful fishing family. Their father Zebedee had hired men who brought in financial wealth even to the point where these Galileans may have owned a house in Jerusalem. Jesus called these brothers to follow him as disciples. They were certainly ‘raw material.’ They tried to assure places in the Kingdom on Jesus’ right and left – and let the other disciples pound salt! John rebuked a person casting out demons in Jesus’ name because he didn’t have the ‘disciple T-shirt.’ John and his brother decided to deal with a non-responsive town by calling down fire to burn them to death (Jesus said no!) John had a long way to come.
But over time spent with the Master and seeing so many miracles (water to wine, raising of a dead girl, miraculous feeding of thousands, demons cast out – and on and on), he deepened in his faith. The teaching of Jesus and His love for the disciples began to break down his rash and loud ways – he mellowed and became more thoughtful. He was becoming holy.
He became known as the disciple Jesus loved – he pulled close to the Master. At the cross, Jesus entrusted his widowed mother Mary into John’s care, which he did. Sadly, his brother James was beheaded early on by Herod Agrippa – his brother was gone – but John outlived all the other disciples – even past 90 AD. Knowing and having seen all that he did, he wrote the Gospel of John which is quoted at the beginning of this blog. He wrote the pastoral letters of I, II and III John, likely from Ephesus. And then from exile on the isle of Patmos – the photo at the beginning of this blog - he recorded a powerful vision for the churches in which his earthly friend Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The holy life – it was for John – it is for you and me.
The holy life begins with asking the Holy Spirit to take full control of our life and direction, and the holy life is lived daily with continuing to ask the Spirit to cleanse, fill and lead. In this way our rough edges are sanded off – we grow deeper in the Lord – we resemble the Master more and more as we grow old – just like John.
How about a bit of homework – take some time this week to read either the gospel of John, the three letters of John or the book of Revelation by John.
Pastor Leon Throness
