Written by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), an evangelist and teacher aligned with the Holiness Movement. This is an excerpt from his book “My Utmost for His Highest.”
Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women. The one all–important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. Redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes. Paul did not say that he separated himself, but “when it pleased God, who separated me…” Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. God cannot deliver or transform me while my interest is merely in my own character.
The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. [Proverbs 20:27]
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