The Recipe for Holiness

Reader, even the most sanctified of followers alive today is still a universe away from that closeness he or she will know with God in the life to come. Christ’s work is not complete in any living saint reading this. In this life, we are justified in Christ entirely, and we are in that salvation sanctifying if we’re smart, but the work of God he calls our “glorification” is still pending for anyone reading this. The triune God isn’t finished with you. Take heart! This devotional post isn't exhaustive on the subject of holiness. Not at all. But I do pray it's exhortative!
The way we grow as disciples is not a mystery to the Bible reader. Following Jesus, though there are times of war and times of peace, looks similar for us all worldwide. There is a recipe. We pray, we study/hear, we repent, we rejoice, we fellowship. In short, we work. This is the recipe by which the Son speaks to his people these days and makes them holy. And no one goes to heaven without these works! 
Nope, not even the thief on the Cross did (if you were thinking that). He bore the fruit of repentance and by faith he confessed his desire for Christ his Savior to remember him. That confession, by God’s grace, was an acceptable work done by him. It isn’t what saved him, it was just the evident believing work of a saved man who was about to die. Everything we do in life in our union with Christ is either something acceptable or unacceptable before God. We either need to repent of it or rejoice in it!
Are you following the recipe? If you are then you’re blessed and you know what I’m talking about. You may not see all the fruit of it how you think you should but I encourage you to continue to follow the recipe. It’s a recipe that you should be partaking of often. It’s not one batch it’s an on-going product. If you have a “bad batch,” toss it and follow the recipe afresh again. Repentance is tossing it out. Obedience is putting it together again. Pray this short prayer today if you must: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12. And may it be life to you, friend!
If you’re to be fruitful, you can’t live in un-confessed and on-going sin. You…just…can’t! If you cannot rejoice in Jesus and you’re in fellowship someone’s reminded you of this within the past month I’d say, and you, in your sin, haven’t listened. You can fake it, but you won’t progress in your heart and mind. I want you to have that growth you want. Paul told Timothy something that just floored me this week. It is a summary statement for all of Christian ministry. Paul said, “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5. This is what your pastors want for you. Repent, follow Christ, let him give it to you through the means he’s ordained in his limitless wisdom.
Lastly let me add that the recipe includes sales. You have to give to sanctify in Christ. It’s just a part of his wisdom. You receive in order to give. You have to receive love from the Lord and find ways to be a giving to others of what you’ve received to others. That’s it! That’s the recipe. That’s why study, prayer, and fellowship (works) matter. It all only works because of God’s grace. So, if you must repent, do it and don’t look back. There is nothing sweeter than Jesus and that “…love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” that comes with his smile upon your life.