The Grace that Keeps Us Holy

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.