January 5, 2026
By Bishop Aner Morejon, Southeast Conference
Scripture meditation: Isaiah 35:8 – “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.”
Discipleship element: Pursuing holiness of heart and life.
The disciple of Jesus who seeks holiness of heart and makes it their way of life can find great encouragement in Isaiah 35:8. Even in our weakness, God promises to be with us, because he sees what is truly in our hearts.
To pursue holiness means allowing God to transform us from the inside out. It’s a process that changes our actions, not out of obligation, but out of love for him and the desire to live according to his will. This path calls us to recognize the seriousness of sin, to seek a deeper relationship with Christ, and to live a life that reflects his character through genuine love and integrity before others.
Many people chase after things they believe will bring them happiness; but when attained, they still feel empty. In contrast, those who seek holiness of heart receive the eternal reward of one day seeing the Lord – for without holiness, no one will see him.
Now then, pursuing holiness is a lifelong journey. Without a doubt, it is one of the defining characteristics of a disciple’s life until, at the end of the road, they find perfect holiness in his presence.
My greatest teacher on holiness was a man I saw preach it with conviction and live it every day: my father, a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene. He often said, “Holiness is not appearance, but experience; not form, but life.”
- “Not appearance, but experience” – Holiness is not about looking pious, dressing a certain way, speaking with “religious language,” or appearing perfect before others. It is something lived deep within the heart in a transformed spirit, a clean conscience, and sincere obedience to God.
- “Not form, but life” – Holiness is not about empty rituals or external traditions, as if following a pattern could make us holy. True holiness is a life transformed by the Holy Spirit and reflected in love, justice, mercy, and purity.
In this new year, may we reject what is external and superficial, what can be seen but may not be real. Instead, may we embrace deep and genuine holiness, lived each day in communion with God.
Prayer
Father, as I begin a new year, I ask that you help me be the kind of disciple who seeks holiness each day as a way of life. Amen.