Following God means following the straight and narrow path. While many want to follow along this pathway, it can be difficult to know what is meant by this “straight and narrow” road. In his latest Beyond The Article interview, author Ken Fish provides fantastic insight and understanding into what it means to pursue a life of holiness.
“For some people as they go deeper with God, the Lord may speak to them individually and He may say, ‘now this thing here, this is off limits for you because of the relationship you and I have,'” Fish says. “Everybody else may be able to do it and it wouldn’t be violating Scripture, but for you, this one’s not okay.”
One example of someone who lived uniquely from others to pursue holiness was Moses. He had a relationship with God that was unlike anyone else’s. However, because of that closeness, the standards God had for Moses were immensely higher than it was for others.
“The first time Moses brought water from the rock, the Lord told him ‘strike the rock,’ and it worked,” Fish says. “The second time the Lord told him to draw water from the rock He said ‘speak to the rock’ not strike it.”
As Fish points out, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it even though he had been commanded to speak. For this act, God punished Moses, not allowing him to go into the Promised Land. Leading a life of holiness means obeying all of God’s commands and having the faith to carry out exactly what He says to do regardless of how much or how little sense it makes in the natural realm.
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In his feature article of Charisma Magazine Online, Fish also writes that “Holiness, as it pertains to humans, speaks to the fact that we are called to be ‘set apart’ or ‘dedicated’ to God.”
Holiness is not just following commands correctly. It is living differently and knowing that you are different from others because you have chosen Christ to be the master that you serve.
Choosing holiness means accepting that God has called us to live differently than the rest of the world. It’s acknowledging how things will be more difficult during this life, but that the eternal benefits are beyond anything that can be imagined here on this earth. This decision to do whatever the Lord commands is a significant departure from the norm, demanding bravery and unwavering commitment despite challenges. However, it’s within this uniqueness that genuine freedom and purpose are discovered.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
Stephen Strang