Drink from The Well

When I ask people about their greatest desire in life, the most common answer I get, above all else, is to be happy. I understand this completely—who doesn’t want to be happy in life? While there is nothing wrong with desiring happiness, if we make it our ultimate goal, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. In fact, I am yet to meet a genuine person whose happiness has been their default state their entire life. You see, we live in a broken world, and with this we are guaranteed trials as well as some not-so-happy days. Joy, on the other hand, is distinct from happiness—which, like a sunset, is a fleeting and momentary experience. True joy transcends circumstance. And it is possible to experience both sadness and joy simultaneously, a state that is impossible with happiness. This difference suggests that God’s ultimate concern for us in life is not our temporary happiness but rather our lasting holiness. Conversely, I have rarely met anyone, religious or not, whose answer to the question has been, “I want to be holy in life.” What about you? What would you say you want most out of life—happiness, success, financial security, and the like? Consider this an invitation to ponder this question for yourself.

The Problem with “Good” Followers

This false idea of happiness has been wrongly attributed to the aim of religion at times. True religion, unfortunately, is often wrongly characterized by an overemphasis on outward behavior rather than genuine inward change. While some individuals who identify as “religious” may not be the best representatives of their faith, it’s important to remember that religion remains the driving force behind the vast majority of global humanitarian initiatives. It’s often a mistake to define a religious group solely by its followers instead of its leader. This often leads to disappointment. When people criticize Christianity due to the hypocrisy of some Christians, I acknowledge their point. However, I always emphasize to them that the truest representation of Christianity is Jesus, not necessarily His followers. Genuine Christians understand that we will inevitably fall short of God’s perfect standard—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) That’s why the gospel message is such good news for us! – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) When we are made right with God through our faith in Jesus, we call this justification. Biblical Christianity teaches that “those whom he called, he justified. Those whom he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Between justification and glorification is the process we call sanctification. This can be easily described as the way God grows us and prepares us for heaven. This is where the idea of holiness comes into the picture. Jesus once said in his Sermon on the Mount, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) We know that we will never be perfect on this side of heaven. But scripture teaches that those who trust in Jesus and have the opportunity will participate in this growth process.

Transformation vs. Performance

The pursuit of holiness is a lifelong journey, not a one-time event or a checklist of good deeds. It’s the process by which the Holy Spirit continually conforms us to the image of Christ. This means that a person’s faith is not measured by how well they perform their religion in public, but by the genuine, quiet transformation of their heart in private. When we focus too much on being “good followers”—on external actions—we risk falling into the same trap as the religious leaders Jesus critiqued: becoming clean on the outside while remaining full of hypocrisy and corruption on the inside (Matt. 23:27-28). Our motivation for pursuing holiness should not be fear of punishment or a desire to look righteous to others, but a deep gratitude for the justification we’ve already received through grace. Holiness (or sanctification), is the practical evidence that the life-changing power of the Gospel is truly at work within us. It is God’s invitation for us to partner with Him in reshaping our desires, thoughts, and actions to align with His perfect standard (Ps. 37:4).

The Subtle War Against Sin

While we wait for the second coming of Jesus, we wait with hope, and we fight sin until he comes back or we are called home. We are invited to engage in the fight with sin. “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22) We engage in this fight not to earn favor with God, but to be matured in our walk with the Lord. The thing about sin is that, whether small or big, it separates us from God. By all means, there are some that are more heinous than others. Nonetheless, all sin separates us from God. For many believers—myself included—it’s easy to fall into the trap of rationalizing or minimizing the “small” sins in our lives. We justify these subtle acts by thinking, “at least I didn’t commit a major crime like murder or armed robbery.” This highlights a common struggle: it’s not always the obvious, outward sins that present the greatest challenge, but rather the subtle sins we dismiss—but should take seriously. 

Here are five common subtle sins that chip away at our pursuit of holiness:

• Spiritual Laziness: prioritizing everything else over time with God (e.g., devotional time, prayer, corporate worship).
• Justifying “small” sins: thinking gossip, white lies, or envy aren’t a big deal.
• Comparison & discontentment: comparing yourself to others and wishing God would give you what they have.
• Glorifying busyness: thinking productivity equals godliness and neglecting rest.
• Thinking holiness is only external: focusing on outward behavior while neglecting heart transformation.

Friends, I’ve been there and God is still growing me. This is what the Christian life looks like. We continue to grow by “working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13) God has taught me that “small” sins are actually a big deal, and that He wants me to pursue godliness in every area of my life. Not to earn His love (I already have that!), but as an outpouring of my love for Him. When we talk about holiness, this is not something man-made. It is God’s will for us—“For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) So, may we shift our deepest desire from the temporary warmth of happiness to the enduring, transforming fire of holiness..

If you are a Christian, you were justified when you believed in Christ (Rom. 10:9), you are sanctified as you grow in holiness through the work of the Spirit (Eph. 4:11–32; Gal. 5:16–24), and you will someday be glorified when you are resurrected into eternal life (Col. 3:4). Justification is a one-time event, sanctification is a process, and glorification is a future event. These amazing blessings are entirely due to God’s grace, not based on any past, present, or future actions or merit on your part. You cannot earn your justification, achieve your sanctification, or merit your glorification. God accomplishes all three of these things out of His deep love for you, through His grace alone (Rom. 3:24; 2 Cor. 9:8; Titus 2:11). If you attempt to achieve any of these steps through your own strength, you will inevitably fail. Instead, the path is to rely on God’s grace, depend on His power, and walk by the Spirit. This will ultimately help you to have deeper rest in the Gospel, mature in your relationships, and grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

If you are not a Christian, you may be striving for righteousness, a good life, and a lasting legacy through your own efforts. However, the Bible teaches that you cannot achieve this on your own (Rom. 3:10–20). God’s desire is not for you to “try harder,” but to come to Him in faith. As Jesus invited, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Have you received forgiveness for your sins and accepted God’s free gift of eternal life? Why not make that decision today? The way of salvation is simple, and it is only through Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:6, Rom. 10:9-13). Come, and drink from The Well!

Into The Deep by Citipointe Worship