Michelle DeRusha
About the Author

Michelle lives in Nebraska, where she writes about real life and faith and lives with two bug-loving boys and a husband who reads Moby Dick for fun.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Beautiful thoughts Michelle. In his sight…I never thought of it that way before. You can really ‘run’ with this when you begin to think about what God sees when he looks at us. If we are holy in his sight then does he even see our flaws? Such a magnificent love story.
    Andie

  2. That He would choose to make me holy by clothing me in the Righteousness of Christ is the most overwhelming display of Love and Mercy imaginable. Actually, it is beyond my imagination. And if He didn’t say it was so, there is no way I could believe such a gift possible. How great is His Love for us. How high are His thoughts and ways. The lavish Gift must change me. Daily.

    • It IS overwhelming, isn’t it ? That’s exactly how I felt when I first read those verses? I had to keep reading and rereading them, because my initial reaction was,”Me??? I am holy? No way!” I couldn’t really believe it was true.

  3. It is an overwhelming and amazing thought, isn’t it? God only sees me as holy because of what His son sacrificed, and in light of that sacrifice, I do my best to live a holy life. While I know I’ll never attain perfection, I’ll do my best to keep His commands and thank God for His grace when I don’t.

    • I think you are right, Jennifer. Knowing we are made holy by Him inspires us to work harder toward reaching that level. I know, because we are all so incredibly flawed, that we won’t ever achieve perfection, and that only God’s grace allows us that progress, but it’s amazing nonetheless to be inspired by how He sees us.

  4. Do I ever consider myself holy? Only through Him! I’m ever thankful for that net of grace that catches me daily. Great reflections, Michelle.

  5. Thank you so much for this post! I love it. Yes, we are holy because we are created in His image. We are seated at the right hand of the Father….He calls us friend. He has already done it ALL for us. We just have to walk into it and accept it. As we begin to see ourselves as He sees us, we will reach the world!

    • Leah, thanks for your lovely comment! And you are right, the possibilities for goodness are endless through Him — as you say so eloquently, “As we begin to see ourselves as He sees us, we will reach the world!” That thought just lights a fire in me!

  6. It’s overwhelming. The idea of being holy. The idea that – when God looks at me – God sees holy. I don’t see it when I look in the mirror, or recount my thoughts over the course of a day. That’s when I realize I have no idea what an amazing gift God gave to us in Jesus. What a treasure we all have in grace. What a great exchange it was that dark day on a cross on a hill…

    (I squealed out loud when I went to your blog and found out you were here today! So thrilled to see you here – to know that your words will minister to women here today.)

    • I love the way you put that, Deidra: “what a great exchange it was that dark day on a cross on a hill…” Yes! The way you phrase that brings me right to that very place.

      So happy to be here today, in the company of gifted writers like you, friend!

  7. It is so amazing that you posted this yesterday because during mass yesterday (they homily was the first in a series on stewardship), the priest kept reiterating that the ordinary things we do everyday – getting up, going to work, taking care of our families – are holy activities. He kept saying that WE are holy. Holiness doesn’t (and isn’t) confined to going to mass, prayer, or serving the Church; it’s also everything that we do to serve our families and communities every day.

    That homily and now this post, will be sticking with me this week. Thank you.

    • Wow, what a cool coincidence that you read this just a day after that particular homily. I am slowly moving toward the holiness everywhere frame of mind. For so long I compartmentalized faith, but the older I get (and the more I write about it), I begin to see that there are no borders. God is everywhere — in us, around us, before us and behind us.

      Thanks for your lovely comment, Elizabeth!

  8. I heard a pastor say something once that I find very freeing. Many people frustrate themselves trying to grow towards holiness. But if we are in God, if we live, move, and have our being in Him, we grow in holiness because He is holy. Christ in me, the hope of glory.

  9. What a wonderful verse to ponder, Michelle. I love the reminder that God loves us “AS IS”– we are truly, wonderfully, beautifully made TO HIM. He has summoned us by name and we are HIS. So comforting to think about, especially when we feel so inadequate. Thank you for sharing– 🙂

    • And thank you for having me here today — a true joy! I don’t comment always or often on (in)courage, but I read frequently and love this community. It’s a delight to be here in the company of so many gifted writers and generous readers.

  10. I have had this same, stunned reaction to Holy — wretch that I am.

    It’s that whole saint/sinner thing. I belong to Jesus, but I’m also a carrier of a fatal disease: a fallen human nature.

    I’m humbled (and relieved) by the fact that I don’t earn righteousness, but that it is a garmet I wear because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

    Because of grace.
    Charis…
    Gift.

    And this gift bowls me over.

    P.S. — Excited to see you here at (in)courage. You are an encourager, my friend.

  11. You know, I love that we are holy because He has made us and not because of anything we can do because, as you said, we are fallen, we are broken. This is not something to be achieved, but rather something to bask in. And as we realize that we are chosen, there is a stirring to live up to the calling, not out of obligation or hope of title, but simply because we love the Creator.

    • Absolutely. That concept of grace through faith along took me many years to get my arms around — it’s hard to imagine a God who forgives and loves so willingly. In a society in which we are always striving to attain acceptabance, what a blessed relief that we need not strive at all to bask in God’s love.

  12. Such great words here today Michelle! Our pastor said yesterday, “God is in search of the broken and the humble.” What a relief to know in this journey that we aren’t required to have it all together all the time. In our search for holiness, there’s so much grace given. Thanks for this!

  13. Me too!!! …. to all of the comments. And I’m thrilled to see your transparency at inCourage.
    Another thing about your post that jumped at me… when you were speaking of how you viewed ‘holiness’ in the past, the stained glass window picture is tilted seeming to say that your thinking in the past was a little askew, but as you begin to understand what God says about holiness as it pertains to the Believer, your second stained glass picture is righted. Did you do that on purpose? The photographer in me thinks the photographer in you just told a story with your pictures of “holy” stained glass windows and I love it!

  14. I have been going to Romans 12 :1 for over a month.
    “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
    I keep giving this body to God. Learning new things every day and wondering why I am stuck on this verse. In the past week He showed me that I have hated this body for a long time. I feel like it has betrayed me. I need to learn to stop hating my body and accept its reactions as a result of things that have happened to me….
    So I read your words today and saw
    “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Ephesians 1:4)
    I was thinking oh, yes, I am Holy, He sees me as Holy, not ‘cos of me but because of Him. Thank you Father…
    So when I got to Romans 12 ;1 again and I was thinking what would You want with this
    _____ _________ _______ body, but it is all I have and I give it to You…. Please help me, please change me,
    And He showed me, I see you as Holy and blameless and without shame.
    – I am beautiful to Him, and in Him the work is already done.
    In the next verse He reminds me again that He is renewing my mind, healing and changing me.
    So thanks so much Michelle for your words which helped me on my journey today.