God's Glory Church

“He who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of His will and grace.” — 2 Timothy 1:9

As a child, my daughter loved to play with Swiss cheese during lunch. She would put the yellow square on her face and say, “Look, mom,” and her bright green eyes would peek out from two holes in the cheese. When I was a new mother, this swiss cheese mask best represented my attitude toward my efforts—sincere love, yet so imperfect.

Oh, how we long to live a holy life – a life dedicated to God, characterized by our likeness to Jesus. However, time passes, and our holiness still seems unattainable. Instead of it, our “holeness” remains.

In the 2nd Epistle to Timothy 1:6-7, the apostle Paul calls him to live according to his holy calling. Paul further explains: “[God] saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of His will and grace” (v. 9). A holy life is possible, however, not because of our character, but because of God’s grace. Paul continues: “[This grace] was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages” (v. 9). Can we accept God’s grace and live based on the strength it gives us?

In raising children, in marriage, in work or in showing love to our neighbor, God calls us to a holy life, which becomes possible not thanks to our efforts to be perfect, but thanks to His grace.

How do you understand personal holiness? How will you ask God to remind you of His all-encompassing grace that brings holiness into your life?

Dear God, please help me to rely on Your grace and not on my own efforts to live a holy life.

Author: Eliza Morgan