Get Holy
“So, what is the goal?” I asked my six-year-old during our nightly devotion.
“To get saved!” she answered.
“Ok, and what does it mean to be saved?”
“It means to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ.”
“And what is the finished work of Jesus Christ?”
“Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered, bled and died, rose on the third day, and now He sits at the right hand of God the Father, waiting to come back to Rapture the church so we can all start eternity together!”
“Great! So, you are saved, and I am saved,” I said, watching her shake her head in agreement, “Now, what is the goal? Holy. To be holy is the goal,” I said, answering my own question. “Once you are saved, it is time to get Holy. What does it mean to be holy and how do you get there? Well, let's take Puppy and Nutcracker,” I said, pointing to her stuffies. “Puppy and Nutcracker are saved, but Nutcracker does what he wants and lives how he wants to live. On the other hand, Puppy lives for the LORD. Puppy loves God so much that she reads and obeys His Word. She follows God's commandments, believes in His promises, and trusts Him. When she is around other puppies, she is loving and kind; she shares her treats, even with those puppies who are not so nice to her. Because Puppy got saved and decided to get holy, she lives life differently, in a way that draws other puppies to Christ. The Bible says, ‘Be holy as I am holy’ (1 Peter 1:16). God is telling us holiness is something we should aspire to be. We should want to be holy to be close to God and draw others to Him.”
“Alright,” she said, grabbing Nutcracker and Puppy. “So, Nutcracker is saved, but he is living life the way he wants to live life. Puppy is saved, and she decides to obey God and try her best to be holy.”
“Exactly.”
“But Nutcracker will still be in heaven because he is saved, so does it really matter if he is holy?”
“Good question. There is a reward system in heaven based on a person's holiness. Revelation 22:12 says, ‘And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according to the work he has done.’ Heaven is the goal, and we only get there by salvation in Jesus Christ, but the rewards we get in heaven are based upon what we actually do for God while here on earth.”
“What kind of rewards?”
“I don’t know but think of it this way: Nutcracker lives life for himself and dies and goes to heaven where he cleans toilets for eternity; it is not a bad gig, at least he is in heaven. But Puppy lives life for Christ, does what is right in God's sight, draws others to salvation, dies and goes to heaven, and God appoints her Empress of Puppy Land where she rules and reigns.”
“Mommy, there are no toilets in heaven.”
“Ok, I know. I am just trying to get you to see that this has levels. No, maybe Nutcracker will not scrub toilets, but he is also not going to be rewarded on the same level as Puppy, or at all. The fact is that we can forfeit our rewards in heaven if we neglect to live a Christ-like life. Salvation is free, but eternal rewards are earned only during our time on earth. John 9:4-5 says, ‘We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work.’ The time to live holy is now!”
“I think God just wants to know who He can trust.”
“Good point, babe. Think about it: at one point, Lucifer was trusted by God but betrayed Him and was cast out of heaven (Ezekiel 28:14, Revelation 12:9). Then Adam, to whom God had given everything, broke His trust when he sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3, Hosea 6:7, Romans 5:12). God is looking for people He can trust and while His mercy and grace provide for all those who believe to be saved through the finished work of Jesus Christ, getting holy is a choice we make. When we use this earthly life to obey God amid trials and hardship, God sees our dedication to Him, and He knows that if He can trust us here, He can trust us in eternity.”
“I am living for Christ! Will I get to rule the unicorn galaxy in eternity?”
“I don’t know, sweet girl, but it is a great possibility. ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). When you know God for Who He is, you should want to be just like Him. Stay close to Him and give Him all you have here on earth. 'Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in Heaven'" (Matthew 5:12).
