Glorious Side Effects

We hear a lot about side effects, in particular, of medications.  It's actually pretty disheartening we must consider if the benefits outweigh the side effects! Not all side effects are bad, however!  I want to expound on a familiar passage, which should be the refrain of every Christian. "And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine." (Leviticus 20:26).  It is common-thinking yet wrong-thinking that holiness is first-and-foremost what we do.  We witness bad behavior, declare it unholy, and say [to our ourselves] "I'm glad I don't act like that."  But holiness isn't what we do – rather, it's who we are. Note that God said "you shall be holy unto Me."  True holiness is when the heart is in deep abiding fellowship with Holy God.  Oswald Chambers writes, "Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true." If we try really hard and stay on our P's and Q's, we can appear holy … well, most of the time.  However, the Christian who faithfully seeks the Presence of Almighty God and develops a right and wholesome fellowship with Jesus Christ is actually allowing God to make us holy unto Himself.  No matter how hard we try, you and I cannot manufacture holiness!  The side effect of Godliness – heart holiness – will indeed show in our behavior but holiness works its way out of a holy heart.  You see, the side effects of genuine holiness glorify God!  And, yes, the side effects are glorious!​