A Call to Holiness

So I just began reading a book called A 20th Century Apostle, The Life of Alfred Garr by Steve Thompson, and I came upon this: but soon he discovered that holiness could not be maintained without obedience. See, before this, Alfred had been resisting God's call on his life because he was so consumed with the world. Part of him hungered and longed for God, but the other part was engulfed in this world. And he got sick of it. He wanted to God to become fully real to him. And once God answered his prayer, God called him into the ministry. Well, Alfred resisted the call because he still wanted to do what he wanted to do. Here's the full quote of what it says after God revealed to him his calling into the ministry:

"Soon after I felt the call of God to preach the gospel. I resisted. Time after time God marvelously delivered me from being killed (he worked on the railroad), but still I would not yield. By my disobedience I lost God. All this time I was running on the road. One day I was led to a Holiness camp meeting, and there the Lord revealed to my soul I must preach or go to an everlasting hell. I would never make another trip on the railroad." Alfred had found sanctifying power, but soon discovered that holiness could not be maintained without obedience. By resisting God's call to the ministry, he lost the sense of God's pleasure and presence. While seeking to appease his conscience, the Lord spoke again to him at a Holiness meeting. After this encounter, Alfred never shrank back from following God. In Fact, he hardly ever walked again. Now he started to run.

I LOVE that last quote because it is so true.

But back to holiness, God has called us to be holy and perfect, as He is. (Matthew 5:48 & 1 Peter 1:15) God gives us the power to live up to that standard. His grace (which is His power) is enough! (1 Corinthians 15:10, Acts 14:3, Acts 20:32, Romans 1:5, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 John 5:2, 1 John 2:6)

But we can't expect to live holy without obedience. Those two go together like fire and some kind of fuel. You can't have one without the other. You are either hot or you're cold (Revelation 3:15-16). Honestly, if you are a complacent Christian I would question whether you are really saved or not. There aren't three levels like most people think. There are not Unsaved, Saved, then Burning. There is just Unsaved and Burning. I never read anywhere in the Bible where it says complacency is okay. But I have found some where it is not.(Zep 1:12, 2 Kings 19:28, Proverbs 1:22) It all depends on what do you want. What do you REALLY want. God doesn't want someone who is halfhearted. He wants our WHOLE heart. (1 Chronicles 28:9, 2 Chronicles 19:9, 2 Chronicles 15:15, Mark 12:33, Jeremiah 29:13). You have to run after Him. Press into Him. Seek Him wholeheartedly EVERYDAY. Pray and fast and study your Bible always. Especially when you don't feel like it. Always rememeber that. Don't base your faith on how you feel because trust me, you will get no where. The times you don't feel like it are the times God wants you to press in the hardest.

So what do you want?