Holiness? What is that? It’s a word that has just about disappeared from our vocabulary these days, and certainly its concept has gone from man’s ideas when every person does what is right in his own eyes! 

    Holiness is everything that is right and just and good. God is a Holy God, and expects His people to be the same. We can never reach the heights of God’s perfection, but with His help, we can all do better than we do. There is no higher commendation than the one that God gave to His servant Job (pronounced Jobe) when He announced to Satan that Job was perfect and upright, and one who abhorred evil in any shape or form (Job 1:verse 8) . Yet when Job saw himself in God’s presence at the end of the story, he realised how far short he was of God’s standard, and said he repented in the face of God’s holiness and greatness. (Job 42: verses 5-6).

      As we go forwards into the year of 2024, let us each one strive to do better  with God’s help, than we did last year. Yes, we might be a good person, and yes, we may feel no need of changing our ways or thoughts, but let’s remember that we don’t see ourselves as God sees us. He says, “For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3 verse 23) and as such we are under His judgment unless we come before Him and confess that we are worthless in our own selves, and that His way is the only way. Jesus Christ said when He was here….”I am the way, the truth and the life….no one comes to the Father (God) except by Me”.  This statement is found in the book of John, chapter 14, verse 6.

    Just remember that if this is wrong, we have nothing to lose, but if it is right, we have everything to gain.