The pursuit of holiness involves forsaking self, worldliness and the wiles of the devil while simultaneously conforming to the image of the sinless Savior, Jesus Christ, who continuously did the will of the Father.
Six areas where it is easy for holiness to be corrupted are as follows:
- Corrupt speech:Let us guard ourselves against the poisonous potential of gossip and perverse speech which originates from a perverse heart (Luke 6:45).
- Impure thought life: Let us bring every thought into captive obedience to Jesus Christ.
- Bitterness: The Bible warns we can be poisoned by bitterness (Acts 8:23). Let us not have the sun go down on our anger, hold a grudge or be corrupted by an unforgiving heart.
- Pride: The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate (Proverbs 8:13). Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
- Materialism: The church’s attitude towards wealth has been turned upside down! Participation in legalized gambling, an obsession with a lucrative retirement, watching greed based reality shows, a prosperity gospel and Monte Carlo nights in a church sanctuary are just a few examples. Let us serve God rather than mammon. Some examples would include pausing to watch the unacceptable while channel surfing or doing an internet search, cursing under our breath in a traffic jam and listening to an inappropriate joke. Our response to unrepentant sin will only progress in the wrong direction. Let us immediately repent and occupy ourselves with something more fruitful.
