Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Heb. 12:14)
Expanded Passage: Hebrews 12:14
Before we had kids, my husband and I took a trip to Hawaii. One of our stops was to see a volcano at sunset, and as amazing as that was, it did not compare to how breathtaking the stars were that night. There were no city lights for miles. My husband was standing next to me, but the only way to know he was there was to hold his hand. You could stand in one spot and spin in a circle, and the stars stretched out for miles. Not a cloud hindered their radiance, and there wasn’t a boundary that forced them into containment. Not only did we see the stars that night, but we experienced them. They surrounded us like a soft, warm blanket.
When the author of Hebrews talks about “seeing” the Lord, in the original Greek the word does not mean seeing with the eyes alone. It’s an experience with the Lord. To be with him, move with him, obey him, talk with him, and know him. But this experience cannot come without holiness. Now, we all are sinners, but because of his grace we can come into his presence, and he will walk beside us throughout our lives. But we must pursue a life of holiness. A life that strives to glorify God and reflect him in every area of our lives.
Experience the Lord by pursuing holiness.
Tiffany Elliott is a Southern Wesleyan University (SC) graduate. She enjoys studying God’s Word, reading with her kids, and planning fellowship events at church.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
