Becoming the Real You

 

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:1-9 ESV).

 

Frederick Buechner, a minister and writer, tells the parable of Lord George, a debauched and wicked man, who falls in love with a wonderful girl. In order to win her love, he covers his bloated features with the mask of a saint. The girl is deceived and becomes his bride, and they live together happily until a woman from Lord George’s past turns up to expose him for the scoundrel he is. She challenges him to take off the mask. Sadly, Lord George takes it off, and behold, beneath the saint’s mask is the face of the saint he has become, by wearing it in love.

 

That parable says a lot about how we grow in holiness. We grow in holiness by doing obedient things. It’s like becoming a parent. When a newborn arrives to first-time parents, they don’t necessarily feel like parents. But then they do parenting things. They change diapers, set up doctor visits, and sit up through the night with a sick child. They act like parents. And it isn’t long before parenting soaks down to the core of their identity.

 

This is the heart of becoming who we were intended to be. God intended that we be special creates made in His image. I find it hard sometimes to imagine that I could ever be like Him. However when I practice the discipline of holiness I become more like him than I could ever imagine. Holiness is like that. Paul tells us in our reading today that in Jesus Christ we are given the identity of a saint. We are “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” Our holiness is first of all God’s gift. But then holiness also becomes a goal. We are “called to be holy.” Join me in this new year to live out who we are in Christ. Become like Him!