Holiness leads to stewardship

2 Peter 2:9-12

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

We are called to holiness (to become Holy- 1 Pe 1:16) through grace the Lord has given us in Christ. This conversion (called sanctification) process is "powered" by the Holy Spirit who refines our thinking by conforming our will into His Will. In doing so, we put off the "old man" and put on the new man, who is Jesus Christ, our Savior.

The passage from 2 Peter calls us out of the day to day and to live differently, "to abstain from sinful desires...Live such good lives among the pagans that...they may see your good deeds and glorify God..."

Biblical stewardship is counter-cultural. The culture we live in says, "You earned it - it's yours - go out and enjoy it". In contrast, biblical stewardship declares that we own nothing, but are caretakers of what God has given us to manage. Biblical stewardship says that we are to keep the Gospel in our minds as we use our resources (time, talent, and treasure). Others may see this and glorify God on the day He visits - evangelism is in view.

As sons of God with an eternal inheritance (heaven) we are to model "otherness" as we are becoming holy. As it relates to those who disciple others, we have the privilege of making connections for people and showing them them that giving is the model that Jesus gave us; the One who gave His very life for us. We may not be called to called to sacrifice our lives for another, however, we can sacrifice some temporal pleasures in favor of Kingdom expansion.

Let us think of holiness in this light; one who has his eyes on the prize of heaven such that the trappings of this earth are not weighing us down.