Holiness and Lavish Love

"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1Thessalonians 3:12,13).

Most folks, when they think of holiness, picture dour, off-putting weirdos, or fusty, finger-wagging prudes. But Paul has another take: Holiness is manifest in lavish, continuous, redeeming and reconciling love that bubbles up and flows out to one and all. 

Paul makes the same point about holiness in another text: "(God) chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4). The words "in love" as you probably know, may be taken either with the phrase that precedes it (as above), or with the one that follows: "having predestined us (in love) to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ..." (1:5). Translators and commentators disagree and it's impossible to be dogmatic, but the position of the phrase, and its use elsewhere in the letter for human love, rather than God's love (3:17; 4:2, 16; 5:2), argue for the idea that personal holiness and love are inextricably linked and grounded in God's call. Paul's point, again, is that holiness of life is made manifest through love. 

1 Thessalonians 3:12,13, you may have noticed, is a prayer—by Paul for his friends in Thessaloniki. It can be turned into a prayer for yourself, family and friends: "That we may grow in love so that we may become holy and blameless before God my Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Richard Foster says, “To pray is to change." That's how we grow. 

David Roper

6.25.19