life that pleases Him—that’s fabulous news! There’s no need to fall
short. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
“Pursue…holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God.”
(12:14-15, NKJV)
The main point here is clear: We need the grace of God to
walk in true holiness. We might ask, “If, as we’ve been taught, grace
is only about forgiveness, then what does ‘fall short’ mean in this
verse?” The Greek word here is hustereo. Strong’s Concordance
defines it as “to be inferior, to fall short (be deficient), come
behind, be destitute, fail.” Thayer’s Lexicon goes into more depth by
stating that this word’s meaning is “to be left behind in the race and
so fail to reach the goal, to fall short of the end.”
Holiness is crucial to finishing our race well. Hear the
prophet Isaiah’s words: “There will be a highway there, called ‘The
Road of Holiness.’ No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will
mislead those who follow it. No lions will be there; no fierce animals
will pass that way. Those whom the LORD has rescued will travel home by
that road. They will reach Jerusalem [heaven] with gladness, singing
and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from
sorrow and grief.” (35:8–10, TEV)
God says that when we walk in the power of the grace of
God, bearing true fruits of holiness, we are invincible because of Him.
Isaiah says that no fierce animal, such as a bear or lion, will be able
to take us out! (This includes our supreme enemy, Satan, who walks
about as “a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter
5:8].) So, we have no reason to fail when we produce fruits of holiness
through the power of God’s grace. This ability is not because of us but
because of Him. We must abide in the grace of God in order to live
holy, fruitful, extraordinary lives!
Marked by boldness and passion, John Bevere
delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculum and
best-selling books now available in over sixty languages. His newest
book is Extraordinary: The Life You’re Meant to Live. More information is available at www.ExtraordinaryOnline.org.
