What do you feel when you think about the call to live a holy life? Overwhelmed?

The truth is, for us, holiness isn’t about perfection. It’s about direction. Every man is on a path—either cooperating with God’s shaping hands or resisting.

To cooperate with God is to consecrate yourself to Him—to set yourself apart for His purposes. That’s not a one-time event but a daily mindset: Lord, I want what You want.

The Father and His Two Sons

Picture this: A father has two sons. One is eager to learn and thankful for correction. The other fights, complains, and resents every lesson. The father loves both sons equally, and he’s committed to teaching both. The path for one is smooth—even joyful. But for the other, it’s painful and slow.

We are those sons. It’s not God’s love or commitment to your growth that is in question. What’s up for grabs is how pleasant or painful the process will be, and that depends on your response.

Sanctification Requires Cooperation

The Bible speaks clearly to this calling to live a life of holiness:

• “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15, KJV).
• “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1, NIV).

The good news is sanctification is God’s work. And if you belong to God, He is already at work sanctifying you—setting you apart—even when you’re unaware or unwilling. Sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus Christ, and He’s the change agent.

Consecration is our response. The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody once heard these stirring words: “The world has yet to see what God will do with, and for, and through, and in, and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

Moody’s reflection on these words is worth repeating: “He said a man. Not a great man, nor a learned man. Just a man. I am a man. It lies with the man himself whether he will, or will not, make that full consecration. I will try my utmost to be that man.”

That challenge still stands today—for you and for me. Let’s cooperate with God and move in the direction of holiness.

Coming Next Week: What’s Really on the Throne of Your Heart?

If you’ve stalled out spiritually and find yourself feeling stuck, restless, or spiritually dry, it may be time to ask yourself: Am I resisting God’s plan for holiness? Am I clinging to something that competes for His place in my life?

God made men to worship. But what happens when our passions take His place? Idolatry is next on my alphabetical list of 70 things every man needs to know. Next week we’ll explore how even good things can quietly become idols in our hearts, and you’ll find out how to recognize if your affections are pulling you away from God, the One who alone satisfies.

Much love,

Pat

Reflect and Discuss

1. Personal Reflection: In what areas of your life do you sense God trying to make you more like Jesus? Are you cooperating or resisting?
2. Spiritual Insight: How would you describe the difference between sanctification (God’s work) and consecration (your response)? Why does it matter?
3. Application: What would it look like for you to say, like D. L. Moody, “I will try my utmost to be that man”? What is one step you could take this week to act on that?