“Holiness is not something that you set your mind on. It is a step-by-step positioning of your heart for Me to do a mighty work in you. You can never attain holiness in your own strength and determination. It must be accomplished in you by repentance and surrender; otherwise you can claim some part in it. That would be pride. You need to come to Me often. We will talk about the areas of your life of which you need to repent. We will talk of obedience to My Word. We will examine your areas of unforgiveness and anger. I will lead you to repentance. You will suffer the loss of control over your life. It will be painful to your flesh. Each step, however, is a very important step on the road to My accomplishing holiness in you.”

 Hebrews 5:8-9 AMP

8) Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered

9) And, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him.

Rom. 6:16 AMP

Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?)

Rom. 6:19 AMP

I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever-increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification.

Rom. 6:22 AMP

But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.

Taken from The Overcoming Life by Jim and Merry Corbett

Jesus Even Learned Through Suffering

 Often, the message conveyed in Heb.5:8 drops to the ground before it impacts our lives.  The plan of Satan is to see that we never really receive the truth that this Scripture imparts. If he can stop us from receiving, he can nullify our effectiveness, or completely destroy our relationship with the Lord because of our misunderstanding of His ways. Here’s a real key:

Through suffering (denial,) obedience is learned (Heb.5:8.) Obedience leads to righteousness (Rom.6:16,) and righteousness leads to holiness (Rom 6:19,) which results in eternal life (Rom. 6:22.)

Most of us spend our lives avoiding suffering of any kind. Our comfort is of primary importance to us. Most of us also wonder why we have little power to obey God. The role that suffering plays never enters our rose-colored picture unless we allow the Holy Spirit to break through the fog that hinders our understanding. How can we progress, if we do not recognize the first step to holiness?

Jesus is holy. His coming from heaven, His life, and the heart position in the way He died show the character of One Who is holy. He asks us to be holy and says that He is holy, giving us the example to follow. Our hope is to become like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Complete Your work in me, Lord,

Jim Corbett