Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV)
A spiritually mature and wise friend gave me a chapter from Andrew Murray’s book The Holiest of All* that studies Hebrews 12:14: “Pursue peace with everyone, and pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (NKJV) When he first gave it to me, I glanced at it, decided there was too much King James English, and set it aside. Later, I pulled it out and then texted him to find out why he wanted me to read it. His answer was that I had to figure that out for myself.
Sigh.
So, I guess I’ll put together my summary statements and see if that answers my question:
Our primary work is to pursue peace and holiness through the process of sanctification. When we pursue peace with others, then we can experience peace with God. When we pursue sanctification (“holy-making”) we are drawn into fellowship with God and share in his holiness.
Being sanctified is a spiritual preparation to increase our capacity to encounter God and be partakers of his holiness. The more deeply we enter into living like Christ, the less we are of ourselves (the “self”) and the holier we will be. To be made more holy, we must enter into the presence of God, tarry there, worship in the holiest place, be separate from the world, and hold communion with the Holy One.
We are called to “follow after sanctification; everything in heaven and earth can help us in the pursuit.” Every trial, disappointment or difficulty can become a tool God uses to make us more holy. He uses the challenges of our lives to free us from self-will, draw us away from worldly attachments, and shape us into the likeness of Christ.
Perfect holiness in Christ is having our will perfectly aligned with Christ. Only when we are holy can we see the Lord. Seeing the Lord is the greatest joy a soul can experience, so our prayer should be, “Lord, make me holy so that I will be ready to meet you when you come.”
In some ways these statements are pretty clear, at least until I begin to apply them to my life. Then I am reminded of my inability to honor the Lord in all things, my incapacity to live free from self-will, and the reality of my un-alignment with Christ.
Perhaps this is why Murray closed this commentary on Hebrews 12:14 with the reminder that press on in faith to take hold of what Christ has for us. Murray calls this the “abiding habit of faith,” similar to what the Apostle Paul calls pressing on to take hold of the prize of holiness – life lived fully in God’s presence.
Today, may we be people who press into the abiding habits of faith, recognizing that every part of our life can be used by God to increase our holiness. May we be people who tarry with, worship, and hold communion with God. And, as we pursue peace and sanctification, may we be drawn into fellowship with God and share in his holiness.
Lord, make us holy so that we will be ready to meet you when you come. AMEN.
*Andrew Murray (1828–1917) was an influential South African Dutch Reformed pastor, missionary leader, and author, who wrote over 200 Christian books, specializing in themes of deep spiritual life, prayer, and holiness.