Tyler Braun

“As an introverted person, I struggle even writing about community because I know how difficult it often is for me to walk across the room to converse with people. People often drain the energy out of me, and too often I prefer to protect myself rather than engage in relationships with people. For some of us who are more extroverted, community is a way of life, yet I wonder how intentional even the most extroverted person is about making community a holiness-shaping thing. Community with God’s people ultimately shapes us to reflect more of who God is.”

“True love of others, according to Jesus, flows out of a love of God. The service of our lives flow out of the loving relationship we have with God. Too often we desire our service to create a loving relationship with God. Yet God does not seek after us because of any good deeds we have done.”

“By valuing modesty we are essentially choosing to live humbly so that our lives may reflect our Father instead of pointing to ourselves. Our choice to forsake the traditional value of modesty is a selfish decision that says, "I am the most important person in the room." Modesty often becomes a decision to think of others as better than us by placing their interest above our own.”

“In church, sexual purity was always something portrayed through abstaining rather than valuing something deeper. I learned how to avoid sexaul immorality but rarely did I learn why in a way that captivated my heart. The why was always, God wants that for you, or the bible says it's a sin. It's no wonder so many have sexual relationships when the argument against doing so has nothing to do with our affections for God.”

“We have an opportunity to love in love with our Savior. Not an erratic, emotionalism, romatic comedy kind of love, but a love so deep that it drives our motivations in life to honor and serve God. We have an opportunity for His love to become our identity. That's why holiness begins with an identity formed in God's love for us.”

“Worshiping in the beauty of holiness is an invitation to be participants in the holiness of God, not perfecters of it.”

“While guilt over sinfulness can often lead to repentance, shame leads to indifference, intolerance, lack of vulnerability, and lack of intimacy with others as it burros its way further into our minds.”

“God's wrath through justice is only half of the picture though, because God's judgement is not simply something He does, but it is also something we choose. (John 3:18-19)”

“The difficulty we have coming to grips with a God who has wrath against sin is directly related to our poor understanding of sin's power against us. In order to more fully understand God's holiness and wrath, we must look at sin. Without a full view of holiness, sin is mere human failure because it contains no connection to God. Without understanding holiness, sin is failing without knowing the standard we failed. Without a proper view of holiness, sin is failing without being guilty, and failing without consequences. Sin is not neutral”

“In a Christian culture that does not value innocense, it is no wonder our generation is often indistinguishable from the culture around it. We've simply been taught by our culture that life experience is the most valuable thing a person can have.”

“Holiness in the whole sense of the word means a life focused around God both internally and externally. Next Christians show their lack of holiness by accepting sin as a way of life instead of an evil to overcome.”

“Holiness is new affections, new desires, and new motivs that then lead to new behavior. If I don't see my sin as completely forgiven, then my affections, desires, and motives will be wrong. I will just aim to improve myself. My focus will be the consequence of my sin rather than hating the sin and desiring God in its place. Holiness is not new behaviors. Holiness is new affections...it is found in our desire of the Holy One”