As believers in Jesus, it is our responsibility to steward holy things. We have the written Word of God to preserve and honor (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must be diligent and zealous in not profaning the Holy Spirit within us because He is holiness personified (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our greatest stewardship lies in what we do with the gifts God gives to us (1 Peter 4:10-11). In “God Tells the Man Who Cares”, A. W. Tozer wrote, “We should and must learn that we cannot handle holy things carelessly without suffering serious consequences.”
The consequence of being flippant about our faith, and the exercise of that faith, may very well be a faith that is not real (James 2:17). Without a genuine faith, there is no salvation (Hebrews 11:6). It’s hard to imagine any consequence more dire than that.
Because it results in eternal life with God, there is no greater gift than our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). We don’t deserve it, and nothing we ever do will make us worthy of it (Romans 3:23-24). And yet, this is the gift God gives to all who believe in His Son and profess Him to be the Lord of their life (Romans 10:9-10). Of all the holy things we can possess, there is none holier than this. God’s gift, accepted by our faith in Him, results in us becoming like Him (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). If we hold fast to our calling to be His servant, we will be holy, as He is holy, throughout eternity. We need not wait until then because the Lord commands us to be holy in our temporary life on this earth (Leviticus 19:2).
To have the written words of God in our possession and to never read them is a travesty I cannot comprehend. Don’t we want to know what God says about how to live life (Psalm 119:105)? Don’t we want to know how to glorify Him in everything we do (Colossians 3:17)? If our desire is not to glorify Christ, then what are we doing (1 Corinthians 10:31)? Why do we call ourselves Christians? If we love Him, we will desire to know Him and to be like Him (Philippians 3:10-11). How is it so few can find the time to open God’s Word? What is so important in your life that it trumps learning about the One who gave His life so you might live (John 3:16)?
Prayer is another of the holy things we neglect. Maybe you think I sound like a broken record, always talking about reading the Bible and spending time in prayer with God, but are you doing these things? Has anything changed in your life so that you now prioritize learning about God and communicating with your Creator and Lord?
God has blessed us with holy things to guide us into a deeper relationship with Him. He plants His seed of holiness within us so that it might grow and spread its good news throughout the world (Matthew 13:23). Are we watering that seed or are we hiding it so no one ever benefits from it (Matthew 5:14-16)? The holy things are the only things that are worthwhile in life. Everything else is going to disappoint, fade, and die (1 John 2:17). Only Jesus has the answer (John 14:6). He is the only way to eternal life, the only truth that can destroy the lies (John 8:32). Don’t neglect the holy things in life. Thank God for them and use them to be holy, just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).