This
week’s blog post on “The Book that changed my life” is from a lady. Her name is
Charity Mwenya. She is married to Wilfred and the Lord has blessed them with 3
boys; Mubanga aged 17, Chibuye aged 11, and Mutale aged 5 years. She enjoys
cooking and gardening. She is a banker by profession and is currently working
for Bank of Zambia. She is a member of Kabwata Baptist Church where she serves
in two ministries; namely, the Conference Ministry and the Ladies Ministry. Let
us now hear about the book that changed her life…
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| Bishop J C Ryle |
When
I became a Christian in the late 1980s, the subject of Holiness brought a lot
of expectations in my mind. I perceived holiness as a state of completeness and
perfection. I was expecting that my life
would change in such a way that I will be a perfect being, free from sin or any
struggles with sin. It was not long before reality dawned on me that I was far
from perfect. I was sad and confused. “Can
anyone ever live a holy Life?” When I visited a couple and saw a book entitled Holiness by Bishop J C Ryle on their
bookshelf, I didn’t hesitate to borrow it.
Reading
the book changed my view of holiness completely. Firstly it made me realise
that I had a wrong view of holiness. Whilst it is true that Christians will
finally be made perfect, it is not true that they attain that state immediately
they become Christians. That is not to say that they live a life in perpetual
sin, because doing so is a sure indicator of not being Christians. Rather, the book explains that holiness is
living a life that makes every effort to shun every known sin, striving to be
more like our Lord Jesus Christ, and being of one mind with God.
Further,
I learnt that holiness is not stagnant but progressive. A person who lives a
holy life will know growth in their love for God and hatred for sin. This will
be evidenced by increased humility, as they learn more of God’s character; and
increased zeal and diligence in doing good in service to God. This, I learnt, will
not come automatically but requires a deliberate, consistent, and diligent
effort in spending time in prayer, in studying and meditating on God’s word,
and in self examination.
I
also learnt that the journey of holiness is not always smooth. There are many
sorrows, troubles, temptations, and trials. I have weaknesses; but I have a Saviour
who is both God and Man, the ‘Ruler of the waves’, who sympathises with me and
intercedes for me. This brought courage and comfort, and it helped me to look
forward to living each day as it comes; with its own challenges and blessings.
The
simplicity and practicality of the book made reading easy and yet gave me rich
instructions and inspiration for
living the Christian life. It helped me appreciate that life here on earth is a
preparation for life in heaven. So if I am going to dwell with a holy God eternally
then I need to live a holy life now.
Whilst
I was looking for a book that will tell me how to attain perfection, what I got
was a book that challenged to a lifelong journey of progressively seeking God,
living a life of self denial, loving God and hating what He hates, and being
dependent on Him to lead me to final perfection.
Thus
Holiness is the book that changed my
life!!!
