Now there was a man
named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council,
a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action;
and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked
for the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52).
I like the way the Holy Spirit inspired Luke
to introduce Joseph of Arimathea as simply “a man named Joseph”.
This makes it easy for us to relate to this ordinary man that was chosen and empowered
by God to be a part of His extraordinary plan. Today, the Spirit of Truth
introduces us to three virtues that reveal the work of God’s grace in Joseph’s
life, grace that prepared him for a holy work of service to our Lord Jesus. The
Spirit inspired Paul to teach that God’s grace also works in us, to set us
apart from our unholy world and to keep us prepared to engage wholeheartedly in
His holy work… “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now,
not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to
work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Joseph reminds us that
as we mature in the faith, we can know and participate in the holy work of God because
of the grace that keeps us holy.
God’s grace prompts and protects
a holy heart in us. Joseph is described here as “a good and
righteous man”, even though he was surrounded by evil and unrighteous
enemies of Christ. One of the undeniable marks of a true disciple is a hunger
for holiness, a growing desire to live above and beyond the lure and temptation
of the unholy world around us… “As obedient children, do not be conformed
to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you
also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for
I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16). God’s grace is at work in every true
believer, perfecting our heart in holiness as He prepares us for His Son’s return…
“so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our
God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1
Thessalonians 3:13). God’s grace keeps our heart holy until Jesus returns.
God’s grace produces and preserves
a holy mind in us. It was not easy for Joseph, a “member of
the council” to resist the peer pressure to go along with the false
accusations and cruelty the Sanhedrin threw at Jesus. But God had placed Joseph
in this position for a holy purpose and God’s grace kept his servant’s holy
reason and critical thinking set apart from the crowd. The Spirit promises that
this same grace is available to us to, to empower us to avoid conforming to the
anti-Christian culture that seeks to overwhelm us and to distract us from
knowing and pursuing God’s perfect will… “Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans
12:2). When we study and apply the truth of God’s Word, His grace is
released in us to renew our mind and transform our reason so we can resist the
world’s empty traditions and philosophies. God’s grace gives us a holy mind.
God’s grace provokes and propels
a holy purpose in us. Joseph was… “looking for the kingdom of God”.
Looking beyond the chaos and confusion of these present events, he remembered
that Jesus had said… “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the
third day be raised” (Luke 9:22). Either Joseph was sure, or He
sincerely hoped that the tomb would be a temporary home for Jesus. In every
trial that comes our way we too can experience the grace of God increasing our
faith and empowering us to look beyond the physical circumstances and to see
the spiritual realities of His kingdom at work… “For this light momentary
affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are
eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). God’s grace keeps our focus on His
coming kingdom and helps us see His holy purpose in every person and
circumstance.
As we grow up into Christ, we are being set apart and prepared for God’s
sacred work by…
The Grace that Keeps Us Holy.
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