Sermon reflection 3/9/14 A pursuit of Holiness

Sermon Reflection
1 Peter 1:13-16 "Pursuit of Holiness"
This past Sunday one of the elders of our Church delivered the sermon because my pastor was out on vacation. The pastor spoke about living your life pure. The pastor talked about how we must protect our mind before it leads to sin and how we should protect what we are allowing our mind to dwell on. He challenged us to take a look at what we watch , laugh at , and listen to because we are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, Since we have GOD with us, we must ask ourselves would GOD feel comfortable with the thought inside us. The pastor pointed to the scripture calling us to strive to be Holy for GOD is Holy. The Church was deafly quiet!
I was sitting staring at the pastor but my mind was with GOD thinking about the thoughts that is inside my head. When I watch tv and a scantly clad women grace the screen, do JESUS want to be bothered with the thoughts that may fleet through my mind. When I was thinking of the songs I recite from my childhood in the 90's rehearsing gangster rap lyrics filled with sin, and so called love songs filled with lustful ideas. I became ashamed and repented knowing that at those times , I am not holding my thoughts captive protecting myself from sin, instead I was sinning! I shouldn't dance around the issue of sin I need to flee from it before those thoughts have a chance to manifest itself in my head.
So I have to be proactive on my spiritual walk. I need to run from sin. I have taken some proper steps on fleeing from sinful language and concepts by abstaining from certain secular music but I know I have to refrain from "Holy Vacations" so that I am Holy at all times. I have to continue to change the channel when confronted with sin on tv. I have  reduced most of my television programming to sports and wrestling and I know I have to be proactive in changing the channel when sinful scenes come about.
The greatest challenge of the sermon was daring us to strive to be known as "Holy"! We have to strive to it, I hear people criticize people from being a "holy roller" or hollier than though" . Now I know it should not be my goal to condemn anyone else, actually that is a sin for me to turn my nose on others as if I am above reproach. But I must strive wholeheartedly to be Holy so when I come short I gave it my all.... How close are you magnifying your Christian life? Are you ok with just being saved or are you trying to create a environment in your soul that GOD is comfortable with dwelling in. I challenge you and especially myself, to tidy it up for GOD! AMEN