Many believers have the faulty idea that holiness has to do with living up to a set of rules or standards. Biblical holiness is actually a journey in which the Holy Spirit continually transforms our thinking to give us the -mind of Christ.- Whether we are on the path to holiness begins with an understanding of what our destination is in this journey.

The very last verse of 1 John tells us to -keep yourselves from idols.- This comes at the end of a book dedicated to how we can know we are saved as we love God and love others. John understood that our love for God directly correlates with our holiness because it is only as we grow to love God as we should that we will continue down the path of holiness. Idols are roadblocks in that path. What -Christian idols- are the greatest threat in our lives to the holiness that God has called us to-

Christian growth is fundamentally tied to holiness, yet many Christians misunderstand what holiness is and how it is produced in us. The greatest error is in thinking that somehow we have to try harder to be better Christians when in reality, holiness is the work of God in us. And it starts by addressing our conscience.

When Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, he described the Lord with this phrase- -He shall be great.- The greatness of Jesus is summed up in this announcement as the angel proclaims His humanity, His divinity, His holiness, His Majesty, and His purpose in coming as our Savior.

The church at Laodicea is a great example of what many churches are today--functioning outwardly and looking like a church, but with a total absence of the Lord's presence. If it is possible to have a church with no one that is truly saved, this is it. What exactly does that look like-

The church at Thyatira did many things well, but Christ condemned it for tolerating sin within its midst. Allowing the false prophetess Jezebel to teach, members of the church were led astray into false teaching, immorality, and idolatry. The church today faces the same dangers if we do not take a stand against evil influences that would corrupt the church.

The church at Sardis was described by Christ as -having a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.- When we evaluate the characteristics of a dead church, it becomes apparent that many churches today fit the same description as Sardis. But since it is the people who make up a church, we must first ask ourselves, -Am I a dead Christian--

The very last verse of 1 John tells us to -keep yourselves from idols.- This comes at the end of a book dedicated to how we can know we are saved as we love God and love others. John understood that our love for God directly correlates with our holiness because it is only as we grow to love God as we should that we will continue down the path of holiness. Idols are roadblocks in that path. What -Christian idols- are the greatest threat in our lives to the holiness that God has called us to-

Psalm 100 is a prescription of praise for God that emanates from God's people out of a heart of thankfulness.

The church at Pergamos was commended by Christ for their works, their faith and their testimony for Christ. But they had compromised their holiness by not separating from the world. How are many churches and Christians guilty of the same compromise today-