Holiness is hard
As I was reflecting on the scriptures in today's readings looking specifically for promises within them, what was standing out was not the nice and soft things that i was hoping to find. What was standing out was things about living a life that is different and contrary to the world around us. It's things around living like exiles and sojourners (both of which speaks of living away from the comforts and pleasures of home). It's around constantly choosing the things of God over the our own desires (until our default own desires are aligned to the things of God).
These are the requirements of holiness.
By the time I got to Galatians 5 I legit started questioning whether this is the kind of promises I want to share here.
Galatians 5:16-24 ESV says:
[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.5.24.ESV
The Christian that is set apart and holy needs to choose hard to obtain the reward of a life of knowing and being known by God.
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