Soul Searching

The above phrase can sound so...generally spiritual; even self-obsessive, to be blunt. And fairly speaking, the phrase might fall under both of those categories--if used in the wrong sense.

Let's face it--if we are talking about "looking within" for answers, I do not want to hang around those parts of my heart for long! My heart misleads me every day, and within myself I find a messy sinner being made more holy by a gracious God. It is Him who is any good, who wills and works for His good pleasure, within us all.

However, if "soul searching" refers to a desire for the Lord to unveil our hearts, expose our sin, teach us His truth and lead us onward to righteousness, then it is absolutely a beneficial (and necessary) discipline!

Beginning a brand new calendar year gives the Christian a wonderful opportunity to soul search, to inquire of the Lord God, "How is my walk in holiness going? What have You taught me this past year? Where and how can I grow?" To pass up this chance would be like passing on a one-year review given by your boss, intended to encourage, convict and cause growth for the better.

The major difference is that you will not worship your boss forever unto eternity. You will worship the King of Kings, who reigns and sustains and gives more grace. And He longs to be your help, your searching light, your counselor, your teacher and your friend.

Why growth? A Christian without growth is like a millionaire who buries all his riches away in the sand. The eternal riches believers have been gifted in Christ are meant to be appropriated! They are not simply "nice thoughts" or "somedays," just like the millionaire's money is not just a "nice thought". The fullness of life given to a believer is living and active because Christ overcame death on the cross! He rose to new life, and then sent His Spirit to dwell in believers. Life in Christ begs for growth and change because He is at work within us, promising never to leave or forsake us, until our growth in holiness is complete.

I love what Paul Tripp says about growth and grace:

"The little moments of life are profoundly important precisely because they are the little moments we live in and that form us. This is where I think “Big Drama Christianity” gets us into trouble. It can cause us to devalue the significance of the little moments of life and the “small-change” grace that meets us there. And because we devalue the little moments where we live, we don’t tend to notice the sin that gets exposed there. We fail to seek the grace that is offered to us."

So what might "soul searching" look like for the Christian concerned with growing in Christ? J.C. Ryle wrote an immensely helpful article called "Growth in Grace"; he gives the following as marks of the Christian growing in grace:

Increased HUMILITY: "The man whose soul is growing, feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness every year."

Increased FAITH and LOVE towards Jesus: "The man whose soul is growing, finds more in Christ to rest upon every year, and rejoices more that he has such a Savior."

Increased HOLINESS of life and conduct: "The man whose soul is growing, gets more dominion over sin, the world and the devil every year...He is not content with old attainments and former grace. He forgets the things that are behind, and reaches forth unto those things, which are before, making "Higher!" "Upward!" "Forward!" "Onward!" his continual motto (Philippians 3:13)."

Increased SPIRITUALITY of taste and mind: "The man whose soul is growing, takes more interest in spiritual things every year. He does not neglect his duty in the world...Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, spiritual conversation — are of ever-increasing value to him."

Increase in LOVE towards others: "The man whose soul is growing, is more full of love every year...A growing soul will try to put the best construction on other people's conduct, and to believe all things and hope all things, even to the end."

Increased ZEAL in doing good to souls: "The man who is really growing, will take greater interest in the salvation of sinners every year...He will just work on, whatever the result may be — giving, praying, speaking, visiting, according to his position — and count his work its own reward."

[I encourage you to read the entirety of the article here--so wonderful! Thanks to Monergism.com for the excellent resource library.]

May David's prayer in Psalm 139 gives us a marvelous template for the start of 2014:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there is any grievous way within me,
And lead me in the way everlasting!"
Amen.

In which of the above marks have you seen growth? Which of the above can you ask the Lord to specifically grow you in this year?

["Growth in Grace" is an excerpt taken from "Holiness!" by J.C. Ryle; content courtesy of www.gracegems.org]

About the Author :

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with her on :

Letting Go of the Rope

Complete terror overcame me at the sound of this instruction. Suspended over a high cliff in the Colorado Mountains, I was about to test the intensity of one of my greatest fears. Whether or not my disdain of heights would be conquered was beyond what I could see at that moment. I just knew I had nowhere to go but down.

Being told to let go, whether in the sport of repelling or in the context of faith, is never an easy feat.

As Christians, we talk about "letting go" often throughout our faith journeys. Faith in itself is all about submission and surrender: "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Though Jesus Christ, the glory of the one and only Father, walked among men thousands of year ago, we Christians today have not physically seen Him. We walk by faith, learning to love Him more each day as we release our very lives into His ruling, gracious hands.

I contend, however, that most of us do not really understand what letting go means. I think our willingness to fully entrust our lives to Christ comes with...terms. And if not terms, then resistance in one form or another.

Because if we are honest with ourselves, with our hearts, we know that we are not yet perfect. There is much work to be done to conform us totally to Christ-likeness; to transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh; to bring us to a full understanding that our lives are ultimately not about us, but about the glory of the Son of God (Romans 14:7-9).

I have a problem with this, if I am honest. Well, my sinful nature has a problem with this, to be precise. My new nature in Christ, the "new self" I have been given in Jesus, is fully on-board with it! But because I am not yet perfect, because my sinful nature still rears its ugly head, there is a part of me that resists letting go, giving myself fully and completely to Christ, whatever the terms, whatever the cost. 

Total and complete submission is terrifying.

Or so my flesh tells me. But the Word of the Lord tells us something different: total and complete submission to Jesus is freedom and satisfaction.

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35).

Over the past week, I have been pondering what it means to lose our lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel. Here are some thoughts, in no particular order. See if any of them resonate with you and perhaps with some of your current circumstances.

Losing our lives for the sake of Christ means:

We hold loosely all that has been entrusted to us by the Lord, being willing to let go even what we believe is from His hand.

We confess every substitute that is exposed by His loving command to forgo idols.

We place no restrictions on how Christ chooses to spend us for the gospel: "Use me, Lord...unless You want to use me there. I'd prefer not to do that."

We prize Christ over the "things of Christ," cherishing the Giver of all good gifts over the gifts, themselves.

We trust and obey Christ's Word and His call, even when the rest is unclear or simply does not make sense. We are not like King Saul (1 Samuel 13:13), disobeying the Lord to pursue our own paths and timing.

We care more about God's glory than our own comfort.

We count ourselves blessed to suffer alongside Christ when trials, afflictions and hardships come.

And above all:

We seek Christ's sufficiency above all else, hungering for His fellowship and His will for our lives. We realize that, when all else is stripped away, Christ is sufficient to satisfy our souls forevermore (2 Corinthians 12:9).

May we be women who do not fear losing our lives for Christ's sake because it means we gain Christ, Himself. And may Christ be all-sufficient, ever enough for us, from now until we worship Him forever in glory.

Lord Jesus, You rule our lives by Your powerful hand, with steadfast love and faithfulness. We confess that, at times, You do not seem sufficient for us. We look to You and to other things to satisfy us. But we desire only You, Jesus! We desire Your sufficiency and glory above all other things. Thank You for grace, for Your help in following You faithfully. Strengthen our faith, and teach us to submit to You, no matter the cost. We love You, O Lord our God.

Amen.

About the Author :

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with her on :

What Dating Has Taught Me

Engagement is amazing.

Last month, my boyfriend of nine months asked me to marry him. The whole evening was entirely surreal, as we basked in the new-found reality that the next season of our lives will culminate in us becoming "Mr. and Mrs." There is still much processing to do, as we soak in the joy of engagement and attempt to understand, by God's grace, what is the mystery of marriage in all its fullness!

What's funny is I actually composed the latter part of this post on our eight month dating anniversary. But I did not publish it. I guess I felt like the legitimacy of understanding anything about dating finds its place moreso upon engagement, the beginning point of lifelong commitment, and not before that time. And of course, my thoughts are humble ones, at that; take them, or leave them. But in re-reading the post this weekend, the points still stand! And I would love to share them with you all.

What I have learned up to now continues to humble me by revealing the miraculous grace of this Christ we worship with our lives. Knowing Him, knowing His love, makes all the difference in our relationships and is richer than any other form of "love" this world offers. (If you have questions about Christ and why His love is truly better than life, I'd love to have a conversation; email me.) Certainly, these thoughts are not even close to being exhaustive--but they are a start.

One thing I do wish to say as a premise: peoples' thoughts on dating derive from their unique experiences (and hopefully from Scripture truths at the core). This means that no one person's thoughts, ideas or opinions can be used as an absolute template for your own relationship--because each one is beautifully unique! I say this because I was the girl who would read another couple's story and think, "Uh oh. Mine hasn't been exactly like that. Should I be worried? Maybe this is wrong..."

It is so easy for our healthy desire to learn from others to morph into a desire to mimic others, especially if their story is God-glorifying (which is a wonderful thing, and we need people to tell their stories so Jesus can be glorified). Just saying, take my thoughts with a grain of salt; but take Scripture at its very word. There, and only there, will you find any eternal wisdom for your unique situation.

Anyway, here are some things that dating has taught me (without a complete elaboration upon each point):

1. God is most concerned about the condition of my heart. Am I looking to be served, or to serve as Christ loved me and gave Himself for me?
2. God wants me to seek what He values the most, not what the world values.
3. I don't always need to pray for clarity. I do need to pray for wisdom and an attitude of submission to the Lord. 
4. It is possible to never feel like the pursuer. 
5. "Communication is key" is the truth. Invest in solid communication.
6. Romantic comedies have a deeper effect than I wanted to believe. Think seriously about the stuff you watch.
7. Dating is the time to form godly, intentional habits. 
8. My boyfriend is not like my girlfriends (praise the Lord). Differences are a good thing.
9. Honesty, whether giving it or receiving it, is a true test of character and grace.
10. Laugh. A lot. It is good medicine for the heart.

So there you go. I do not have time to draw out each point right now, so if you have questions about any one specifically, email me or comment below. I would love to go deeper with you. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you.

"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love." (John 15:8-9)

Gracious Lord, all the days of our lives may we abide in Your magnificent love for us. Teach us in all wisdom, that we may know the riches of Your grace. By Your love, teach us to love. We worship You and long to know You more!

About the Author :

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with her on :

Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

"Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly- I'm a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior."

John Newton speaks these words in the film "Amazing Grace", which tells the story of William Wilberforce's fight to abolish the slave trade in 18th century England. Because of Wilberforce's passionate perseverance, many slaves were eventually freed from the horrors of the trade.

Long and difficult was the journey, however, Wilberforce became so affected by the evils of the slave trade, along with the many tiring years of arguing in congress; he almost threw in the towel. His mysterious illness also added to his spirit of defeat, resigning him to bed-rest for days on end.

If Wilberforce had given up his cause, the slave trade would never have been abolished for such a time as that. Despite thickening adversity, Wilberforce persevered to the end.

Think about times of adversity in your own life. What has been your natural response?

One area of adversity for me has been singing. What once came so naturally (and afforded me many theater jobs) has been a battle for the past few years. Singing, for some odd reason that I am entrusting to God, has become physically uncomfortable. As a result, my natural response is to avoid it by running the other direction when opportunities arise to use my voice.

Defeat is precisely what the enemy wants: Adverse circumstances arise; we flee in fear or defeat, and the enemy triumphs (interesting that he is called our "adversary" in 1 Peter 5:8). The last thing he wants is for God to be glorified through the trials in our lives.

Dependent perseverance in the face of adversity is glorifying to God. This kind of perseverance is not mustered from our own strength. It admits to our weaknesses, trusting the power of Christ to be sufficient for us. Read what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 

The fact is, we are weak vessels! Power belongs to God, not to us. We are wholly dependent on our Savior, for life, breath and everything, including the salvation of our souls. We do not carry ourselves around in perfect, strong, powerful bodies. We are but humble jars of clay. But Christ, who came to seek and save the lost, lived the perfect life we could never live ourselves. We persevere by His strength and His power to defeat even death on a cross.  

We proclaim not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, who is the image of God (v.5). Facing adversity in the Spirit means leaning dependently on the power of Christ and proclaiming His strength. Instead of thinking, "I can do this," may our prayer be, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Christ purposes to manifest His power despite our very glaring weaknesses because everything, even our weaknesses, is for His glorification!

After singing at church last night, it occurred to me that maybe the Lord would never remove the discomfort I often experience. I believe He can, if that healing would most glorify Christ. But if not, His perfect strength is made all the more manifest in my weakness. And what most amazes me is the sound of my voice is healthy and strong, despite my seeming insufficiency. He is the supplier of all we truly need, to the praise of His Son, even when we cannot understand and adversity arises.

What are you facing today? May Christ be exalted in your weaknesses, giving you the power to dependently persevere in the face of adversity. Christ is indeed a great Savior!

Lord Jesus, Thank You for being the Savior of the world. I am totally dependent on You, and today I rely on Your strength. May Your life be manifested in my weaknesses. Help me to trust You despite adversity and to praise You in all circumstances.

[photo source: Ansel Edwards, Creative Commons]

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Grace: Four Truths

Dropping the ball seems to be my tendency this month.

My mind must be elsewhere because certain deadlines and due dates have completely eluded me (I ask myself, "Kristen, where is your brain?"). Thankfully, I am surrounded by many people who love the Lord, who are willing to extend me grace during these times of...well...being human.

Grace is a miracle. Let me specify, God's grace is a miracle. It is because of His grace that we have a new identity in Christ. That believers, who are sinners by nature, are able to become the righteousness of Christ. All of our darkest sins get washed away and we have the hope of eternal glory to look forward to someday. All because of grace. An absolute miracle.

As I read 1 Corinthians 15 this morning, some important truths about God's grace stood out to me. If you have ever found yourself wanting a deeper understanding of grace (that's me, for sure), then Paul's words here will bless you - and hopefully soften your heart to the miracle that grace is.

Paul aims to remind us of the gospel in this passage; for only in the full extent of the gospel can the miracle of grace be understood. And how often we need the reminder!

15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

He reminds us of Christ's death for our sins, His burial, His resurrection, His appearing to the disciples and to five hundred witnesses, then to all the apostles. Lastly, Paul tells us how Christ appeared also to himself:

9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

From these final verses, we glean four truths about God's miracle of grace:

ONE: It is God's grace that makes us who we are in Christ. Paul was Saul, the persecutor of Christians, before Christ transformed him by saving grace through faith. His identity is now in Christ, but this change was not his own doing, or by his own efforts! It was God's miraculous grace that claimed him. How can you apply this to your own story? How has grace transformed your identity? 

TWO: God's grace can be believed in vain. "In vain" means "without effect or avail; to no purpose." Paul reminds us that it is possible for grace to go unapplied to our lives--and what an unfortunate thing that would be! Christ gave His very life that we would be saved. May grace repurpose our lives as we submit to God's lordship and walk by faith. May it free us to live in the light of our new identity in Christ, holy, blameless and set apart for His purposes.

THREE: God's grace compels us away from sin, and toward godliness. Paul tells us that he "worked harder than any of [the apostles]"--but this is not a personal boast. He says that it was the grace of God that compelled his ministry. So then, grace motivates us by the Spirit at work within us to live holy lives that are zealous for good works (and what a wide range of good works there are--from outward acts to inward change, which are all precious to God).   

FOUR: We are instruments of God's grace. Paul says finally that the Corinthians believed as a result of the ministry of preaching, whether by his work or the apostles'. How is God using you as an instrument of His grace? 

Today, meditate on His miracle of grace. Live in its freedom. And praise Him for it!

Gracious Father, Thank you for grace. Where would I be without it? Thank You for sending Christ to save me, that I am what I am because of grace. Please work out Your grace in my life, as I trust You each moment. 

Amen.

[photo credit: Shannon Lee Miller]

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Dating: Good Or Bad Fruit?

What is your dating relationship producing?

[Spoiler alert!] In a season one episode of Downton Abbey, we see a classic example of "good girl falls for bad boy". The tall, dark, notorious footman, Thomas, has conivingly convinced the innocent kitchen maid, Daisy, that he is worth trusting. Naturally, sweet Daisy falls for the bad boy, her emotions overtaking her reason. Thomas, however, feels absolutely nothing for her, using her for his own evil, twisted purposes.

She falls for his dirty schemes; she falls so hard that she begins to lie for him. More than once. She spats unkind words at the people she loves all because Thomas dislikes them. And ultimately she begins to lose a sense of her identity, morals and values altogether. 

Daisy eventually busts. Her good-natured heart cannot handle the negative results of her time spent with Thomas. She eventually frees herself and tells the truth to those she wronged.Have you ever been in a situation like Daisy's? Or rather, a relationship?
I think a very important question to be asking ourselves when dating is, "What is this relationship producing?" If our dating relationships are intended to be responses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then certain traits will distinguish them as such. Let's call these traits "fruit", and let's look at a passage from Luke to unpack the importance of fruit, itself:

"A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6)

Just as a tree is identified by its fruit, so a relationship's virtue or vice is identified by what it produces, both in the couple and in each individual person. Fruit, then, acts as an identifier. When picking a shiny, red apple from a tree, we can very confidently state that the tree is an "apple tree".But what about your relationship? When you examine its fruit, what is identified?

According to Galatians 5, there is a certain kind of spiritual fruit we should see being produced:

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Because we are in Jesus Christ, we have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. And the Holy Spirit produces unique, set-apart fruit within us! This fruit identifies who we are, and whose we are. Notice, though, that the fruit of the Spirit is not limited to our individual lives: "...let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives".

The Spirit's leading is also tantamount to our dating relationships because then, and only then, will we produce fruit that is lasting, good, and built on a firm foundation. 

I remember the moment when I once realized that a relationship of mine was not producing the fruit of the Spirit in me. At first it saddened me and shocked me. But eventually, there was freedom that came with this understanding, a deep knowing that Christ had given me the power to realize this--all because of the Spirit dwelling in me! When we allow the Spirit to lead us in our dating relationships, we "won't be doing what [the] sinful nature craves" (v.16). The sinful nature produces bad fruit, while the Spirit-led nature produces good fruit!

Here are a few questions we can ask to determine 

what fruit our dating relationships are producing:

Am I being led forth in peace? A very wise friend recently reminded me that the peace of God is the fruit of pursuing Him in everything we do. If we are truly seeking Christ and walking in righteousness, then He will give us deep peace if good fruit is yielded! Paul says in Philippians 4:  "...Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."

Am I compromising in any way? If a relationship is causing us to brush aside our convictions and values in Christ, then good fruit is most likely not being produced. In Jesus we have "nailed the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there". A relationship should encourage us to be Spirit-led, not urge us into compromise. This could mean anything from physical and emotional boundaries, to brushing aside other equally important relationships.   

Are we serving one another in love? Mutual submission is key to any relationship, whether between family members, friends, or in dating. "Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too" (Philippians 2:4). But service is a two-way street, and dating is an excellent way to see if both parties are willing to serve the other in love. The fruit of the Spirit is full of loving service: "Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another" (v. 26).

Does this relationship encourage community and accountability? "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). We need the other important relationships in our lives to be strengthened consistently, especially during dating. Our family members and closest friends know us best and can speak into our lives. Isolation rarely produces good fruit. Is your relationship encouraging community?

Does this relationship encourage our walks with God? "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33). The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord with everything in us. This is priority number one. Our dating should remain in right standing to this priority!

As a tree is identified by its fruit, so the foundation of our dating relationships will be identified by what is produced. 

What is your relationship producing? 

Father in Heaven, You relate to us perfectly. You made us to relate to You first and foremost, and then to one another. Thank you! Lead us by Your Spirit in every part of our lives, including our dating relationships. Lead us in peace, teach us to mutually serve, and provide us with community to spur us on to completion. Bear the fruit of the Spirit in us.

Amen.

[photo credit: Shannon Miller]

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

I Am a Woman: Set Apart for Holiness

As a young girl, I loved standing out from the crowd.

A performer at heart, I would fashion an impromptu stage out of my mom’s Jane Fonda step, don my neon gymnastics leotard and put on a show a la “Beauty and the Beast” for my family. At age five, I insisted on wearing my pleather, bubblegum pink raincoat and matching umbrella to the grocery story. And in first grade, I was the girl bold enough to wear my authentic Swedish dress to school—red wooden clogs and everything.

Somewhere deep inside of me was planted a desire to be set apart for a purpose. 

This desire comes to fruition in Christ. As a woman united to Jesus, I am set apart to be holy. And so are you!

The bad news: There is no holiness apart from the gospel. A person is merely groping around in the dark. It scares me to think about where I would be had Christ not shown me His grace (think about it!). Unfortunately for some women, the desire to be set apart for a purpose never surpasses worldly attempts at satisfaction. From body image to trendy clothing to relationships to work pursuits, the search for purpose never ends. And it leaves defeated women, reflecting the broken world they emulate: lost, discontent and morally damaged. 

The good news: My sisters, through Christ we have already won the ultimate battle for our souls! Now, He fills us with the strength to live solely for His glory, which is a holy and blameless life, set apart for His purposes.

Holiness is the mark of our new identity in Christ. By biblical definition, to be holy means “in a moral sense, pure, sinless, and upright.” When God set us apart, He made us fully His possession (Titus 2:14). Our lives are no longer our own, but we exist to glorify Him. We glorify Him through living holy lives, spurred on by heartfelt gratitude for the magnificent grace and love of Christ ("set your hope fully on the grace...").

But how?

As women following Christ, we know wholeheartedly the battle we face to maintain holiness on a daily basis. Cross-messages invade our minds. Temptations ignite our flesh. And the enemy prowls around looking for someone to devour. Our broken world inundates us with ungodly perspectives, making it very clear that we have a battle to fight.

Read what Peter writes to the believers in Asia Minor:

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1)

Peter's language is anything but passive. Holiness must be cultivated by an active participation in, and surrender to, the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work in our lives! "Be holy." What might this look like for us?

The passage above gives us three applications for living holy lives. I wrote them as declarations:

Be holy in mind: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded…” My thoughts have weight. Thoughts have the potential to lead me to truth or to falsehood. My mind can choose to think on whatever is true, commendable and praiseworthy—or it can dwell on anxious thoughts, all of which steal my peace. Because sin no longer has power over me, I can choose to prepare my mind for action. It is my responsibility to read Scripture daily, filling my mind with the living, breathing Word of God. By the sanctifying truth, I become sober-minded (uninfluenced by sin) and prepared to choose holiness without delay in a dark world. I will not fall prey to the lie that my emotions and feelings are to be trusted; I know that my heart is deceitful above all things. I will be holy in mind.

Be holy in body: “You also be holy in all your conduct.” Called to be pure and upright in all my conduct, I am an ambassador for Christ—meaning that people are watching me at all times. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in me as an assurance of my future in eternity with God. I am to treat it as such. Since the blood of Christ has made me clean, giving me a new identity, it is no longer of my nature to look like the world. I am now set apart in Christ, and I can no longer be conformed to the passions of my former ignorance. My calling is to be self-controlled, which includes being mindful of my brothers in Christ. I will be holy in body. 

Be holy in spirit: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  Becoming more like Christ Jesus is more important to me than all other pursuits. I will train myself in godliness more fervently than on the treadmill, for godliness lasts unto eternity. My true loveliness comes from the hidden person of my heart, with the imperishable beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit. In God’s sight this is very precious. I will rely on God’s grace, and not my own efforts, trusting Him with every aspect of my life, knowing that I am fully His possession. I will be holy in spirit.

You are set apart to be holy. What an amazing truth! Let's walk by the Spirit's power to pursue holiness, keeping our sights on His immeasurable grace.

Holy Father, You are our example of holiness. Strengthen us to pursue godliness. In our weakness, You are strong! Thank you that grace is ours in Jesus. May the love of Christ motivate us be who we are in Him.

Amen!


Contemplate this passage: "For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). How does God's grace motivate you to pursue holiness?

Kristen Leigh Evensen is a writer, blogger and singer/songwriter. She writes on faith, identity and Scripture at The Identity Project. Her articles and blog also appear on iBelieve.com. Her desire is to see women transformed by the Gospel! Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Five Excellent Reminders from Paul

Think about the power of final words.

Final words and thoughts stick with us. They do not easily fade into the background of our memories, especially if these words were deeply influential when spoken.

I will never forget a time when, sitting during a concert, an older gentleman struck up conversation with me. He asked a few simple questions about where I grew up, what I studied in school, and what I was doing at present. The conversation tapered off as the music commenced, but his final words hung in the air long after the musicians began playing: "Kristen, do not sell yourself short."

This thought affected me for days. Did my words relay that, somehow, I was selling myself short? And still I consider his words, even this morning, as I pray about what God would have me do/say/think each day for His glory. The gentleman's words held weight, and they will not easily be lost in my memory.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, would admit that his speech was not full of eloquent words, but of the pure power of the Spirit. In Acts 20, Paul stops at Miletus while on his missionary journey to Jerusalem. His wish is to speak with the Ephesians’ elders, of whom he requests a meeting before he continues his travels. Acts 20:18-38 gives us another example of the power of final thoughts and words, as Paul says his farewell to the elders and leaves them with some reminders.

Although these words were spoken to the elders of Ephesus, they ring true as exhortations to us, followers of Jesus Christ today. Certainly, these were not Paul's final words altogether, but they were conclusive for the elders; so we can surmise that they hold deep significance and are instructive in purpose.
Here are five excellent reminders from Paul:

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

ONE: Keep the focus on the Gospel of grace. So many "final" messages and influential voices vie for our attention in today's day and age. How easy it can be to lose sight of the truth, embellishing the Gospel or detracting from it to make it more palatable for the culture.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock...

TWO: Do not shrink from telling the truth. Proclaiming the blood and resurrection of Jesus is no easy task, in a world that despises the name of Christ. But Paul reminds us that it is our responsibility to speak boldly on behalf of the Gospel, not to shrink back--for all people need to hear about the grace of God and respond to Him in trust. He reminds us to pay careful attention to "the flock", but also to ourselves...

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

THREE: Be on your guard against false teachers and distortion of the truth. Paul reminds us that God paid the price of our redemption with His very own blood, so we must care for the church with high responsibility. This includes being aware of "fierce wolves", or false teachers, entering the Body of Christ. "From among [our] own selves" there will be twisted speech, Paul reminds us, so we must walk fully aware of this reality and stand for the truth of the Gospel.

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

FOUR: Remember that your identity is built on God and the word of His grace. How easy it is to wrap up our identity in worldly gain, or lose our identity when hardships come. We can even make an idol of doing good works for God, as if they, alone, are the basis for our value. Paul reminds us that God is our source of value, strength and security. He has prepared for us an inheritance that far exceeds anything this world can offer us.

33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

FIVE: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Paul reminds us to live above reproach by working to please God and to serve others. We have eternal treasure awaiting us in eternity, so everything we gain here on earth we can count as loss for the sake of Christ.

One thing my mother always taught her daughters was the power of saying "I love you" before leaving the house. To this day, if I forget to tell my family this, I turn the car around or call them, so they always have these words lingering in their minds and hearts.

Final thoughts and final words have the power to linger within us--especially when those words are the pure power of the Gospel. Let us take these final reminders with us today!

God of grace, Thank You for the Word of truth. Remind us of Paul's words about the Gospel. Strengthen us to rely on Your power, give us wisdom to recognize the truth, and sanctify us day by day to look more like Jesus.



Written by Kristen Leigh Evensen

What Do You Mean Kiss Dating Goodbye?

I was flabbergasted and altogether a little shook up, as I progressed through the book, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”, about four years ago. Flabbergasted, because of my amazement that couples existed who waited to kiss until their wedding day. Shook up, because, if God commanded this, then I had already blown my chance over a high school romance...

Even still...something was not sitting right with me about this premise. So I went to my pastor.

We sat in his office and talked for a solid hour about the purpose of this book and the thoughts it advocated on dating. I still have the email he wrote to me, finishing up our conversation. He said:

"I also think we need to be wise about our dating approach. To go out to dinner and a movie with a "date" is one thing. To go for a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods is putting oneself in a situation where one is more removed from helpful boundaries..."

Helpful boundaries -let's talk about them. Because, quite frankly, the Bible does not give us a clear-cut, set-apart chapter called "God's Way to Date". In the Old Testament, we see Isaac pursuing Rebekah as a response to a specific prayer...but we also see Ruth laying herself at the feet of Boaz's bed!

So how do we handle boundaries in dating? First, I think we should diagnose a problem that tends to run rampant with the mention of "boundaries":

THE PROBLEM: When we do not relate helpful boundaries to the truth of the gospel, they manifest themselves as legalistic "rules"...and drudging rules are bound to be broken.

In other words, there must be a deeper point than simply "being moral people" during dating. Without a purpose, a foundation to rest upon, our "moral efforts" will be aimless and easily compromised. For example, it is motivating to run a race when you know there is a finish line; it is not motivating to run forever, to no end. I know I'd get tired real fast and find myself taking a long, lazy breather on the sidelines. Why not, if there's no point to the race?

But, see, there is a point to boundaries.

The point is the glory of God! 

“16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image”.-2 Corinthians 3

God knows what is best for us. He knows what will transform us into His image. He knows what will sanctify us to look like Christ. And when we look like Jesus, God gets the glory. 

THE SOLUTION: The gospel of Christ means that even dating can be a response to what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Our identity in Christ frees us from "motivation-sucking" boundaries to boundaries as glorifying to God! Put simply, as Dr. Henry Cloud says, "Boundaries keep good things in, and bad things out."

So what does Gospel-responsive dating look like? First, let me throw out a disclaimer: I do not fully know the answer. I am not married. I am not engaged. But I am in daily prayer about this. Because I want to date as a response to what Christ has done for me! In all my praying and processing and reading and experiencing, I believe the following holds true.

Gospel-responsive dating involves:

HOLINESS / HONOR / HUMILITY 

For more about holiness, honor and humility in dating, read the whole post at The Identity Project. The rest of the dating and marriage series, “As Christ Loved Us”, is also on the blog.

May that, which is most helpful and beneficial for building others up and bringing God glory be our desire in dating as we respond to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, You created everything and deemed it good. You made relationships for a purpose, and we want all our relationships to glorify You. Teach us your character, and transform our hearts to be like Jesus. Walk with us as we navigate dating, and grant us godly wisdom. 

Amen.