Ordinary Saints — Week 1
By Reverend J. Carla Northcutt, Ed.D., Marietta, Georgia

In her wonderful study, Holiness:  The Heart God Purifies, Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes, “Because I want to glorify God and be faithful to Him all the way to the finish line, I have embarked on an intentional pursuit of holiness” (italics mine).

C. H. Spurgeon said, “Conspicuous holiness ought to be the mark of the church of God.” (italics mine).

Intentional and conspicuous holiness—that means “on purpose with everybody watching?”  Yes, that’s exactly what it means—“in front of God—and everybody!”  If we don’t intentionally pursue holiness, we may not pursue it at all.  We cannot be secret, silent witnesses to this marvelous, Holy Spirit-wrought work of sanctification because by its very nature sanctification is communal.  It is by the living out of the image of God in us that His image becomes clearer to the world and purer in us.

All alone our sanctification would make us a fine candidate for a nunnery or a life of monastic celibacy, but in our discourse and intercourse with the world of saints and sinners, our sanctification becomes lived-out holiness.  The image of God being restored and perfected in us is salt and light to the world.

Holiness is the result of a sanctified life—holiness without which no one will see God.  If He requires holiness from us and expects holiness in us, then He will provide the means to holiness for us.  Once a life is regenerated by the creative power of the universe, there is a second step to take in the journey.  Provided by the cleansing blood of Jesus and bestowed by the Holy Spirit, a new Christian begins the journey.  Born anew, now there is growth toward the perfection that is found in bearing the “imago dei.”

That journey gives each of us the opportunity in our walk with Christ to express His life through us in our own unique way.  I remember as a girl of twelve or thirteen, I was running up the steps to my bedroom in our century old Michigan farmhouse.  It was one of those beautiful maple staircases with the carved banister and a landing about two-thirds of the way up the twenty-one steps.  I had a small container of bobby pins in my hand.  About two or three steps up, I dropped them and the bobby pins went all over the place.  I picked them up, started my ascent and dropped them again.  I picked them up again—and—yes!—dropped them again.

I laughed at myself.  By this time my mother was curious about what was going on so she came to check on me.  I told her about dropping the bobby pins and that after the third time; I just had to laugh at myself.  She said, “Do you know why you laughed instead of getting mad or frustrated?”  I said I didn’t.  She said it was because I was sanctified.  I have thought about this incident so many times recently.  It happened over fifty years ago, but it is still fresh in my mind.

Why was my particular reaction a result of being sanctified?  Because Christ was being formed in me, because the Holy Spirit is gentle and peaceful and kind and patient, because the nature that was growing in me was a nature Christ meant for me to have for many years later as a classroom teacher and principal of teenagers.

Let the mind be formed in you that was also in Christ Jesus.  Claim as your birthright a sanctified, holy life.  Do not let the world undermine the privilege you have as a child of the King to live in the fullness of His love and in the purity of His likeness.

Father, create in me a clean heart.  Give me a heart of flesh that is attuned to You and to the world.  Make me like Jesus.  Sanctify me and make me holy. Amen.

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