The changes in the world today seem increasingly rapid and unpredictable, suggesting that the world is indeed being driven toward its end. We must be convinced that it is possible to be a person who pleases God. Otherwise, Paul would not have said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” It is possible to please God. If it were not, Paul surely would have stopped striving to please Him. It is the same as when the Lord said, “Make disciples of all nations.” Surely there are stages of growth that can be reached, just like in school, until one graduates.
Paul said, “I have finished the race.” This verse means he graduated. But “finished the race” did not mean that Paul had already died. Even in his old age, Paul strove to discipline his body, so that he who had preached the Gospel would not be disqualified, and this means he wanted to please God. And who is pleasing to God? Those who do the will of the Father: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.” Doing the will of the Father is possible. Jesus Himself fulfilled it.
Romans 8:28-29 says that we are called to be conformed to Christ. Being conformed means the standard has been set, because we will be glorified together with Christ. When the Bible says, “Be holy, for I am holy,” this is not merely a statement to decorate the pages of Scripture. God does not lie. The holy God surely places us on a standard where holiness is possible as He intends. So, just like in school, we must be confident that we can graduate, for Jesus Himself said, “As I have overcome, you must also overcome.” It is possible to graduate; it is possible to overcome. In fact, Paul strove to please God.
On this occasion, let us have the courage to step forward with firm resolve that we can attain holiness. We can live without a blemish or a spot. We can be pleasing to God. We can be perfect, according to the measure set for each of us, though the degree of perfection may differ. We must believe that what the Bible says is true. And we must immerse ourselves in the struggle to pursue holiness, because only then can we understand what the fragrance of holiness truly means. Only then can we grasp the possibility of being holy, living without blemish or spot.
As Paul wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians, we are called to live blameless and holy lives. Whoever rejects this rejects God. When we truly throw ourselves into the struggle to live without blemish and without blame, then we will begin to see that it is possible. We will grow more optimistic about reaching it. We will sense the fragrance of the Lord. We will experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. And we will feel the pain of our sins when we fall short, thus understanding how deeply our mistakes wound God’s heart.
Through such struggles, we come to understand the meaning of the Lord’s words: “He who has been forgiven much loves much.” Those who strive for holiness, when they sin, will be deeply stricken. They will feel the pain of wounding God’s heart; they will, in part or perhaps more fully, sense His grief over the sins we commit. He bore our sins on the cross, not so that we could sin fearlessly, but rather that we would strive not to crucify Him a second time.
And when we feel guilty, we will cry out for forgiveness earnestly. Sin will become loathsome in our eyes. We will see it as vile, as something grievous to the heart of God. Therefore, when we repent, the compensation is that we will love Him more. We will fear sinning, but at the same time, we will love Him more deeply—the One whom we have wounded, yet who still forgives; the One whom we have hurt, yet who still receives us. In this, we will love Him all the more.