How does one know they are becoming holier?

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SlavesOfJesusandMary

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I was wondering how do we know we are on the point of becoming holy or are starting to become holy because i have detached from this world deleting my social media and I have improved ALOT in silence prayer and being silent in general but I wonder how does one know they are in the right path towards holiness or already being holy?
 
You may find the book “Time for God” helpful. It talks about prayer & growth in our relationship with God being a gift rooted in trust & not something we achieve through a series of “steps.”
 
Great question - but you may not like my answer.

How do you know when you’re getting holy? When bad stuff keeps happening to you!

The devil attacks those nearing God. Why attack those who are already in his clutches? Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow Me.” He didn’t say, “follow me and your burdens will be light.”
 
All good responses. IMO the main way that we know is when we find ourselves increasingly in love with God and neighbor. Love is what fulfills the law (Rom 13:10), thereby causing greater purity, i.e. holiness.
 
SlavesOfJesusandMary said:
I was wondering how do we know we are on the point of becoming holy or are starting to become holy because i have detached from this world deleting my social media and I have improved ALOT in silence prayer and being silent in general but I wonder how does one know they are in the right path towards holiness or already being holy?
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It is when you remain habitually in a state of grace, and also reducing the venial sins. The love of the Holy Trinity will become stronger such that the attachments to sin weaken, the desire to do the will of the Holy Trinity is more dear than doing other things.
 
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VonDerTann said:
“take up your cross and follow Me.”
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Speaking of this passage… I recall reading it in St. Mathew. Jesus said this well before His crucifixion. It is unlikely that it was forseable to the apostles at that point so would it have made sense to them?
 
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I’m sorry, I’m not a Bible scholar - although I will research it.

Jesus knew what would happen to him. I would speculate that it was one of those comments he made that did not make sense initially but made sense later.
 
In Latin, the term crux was also applied to any instrument of torture and execution and, by connection, troubles and afflictions in general. While σταυρος stauros (the Greek word for ‘cross’ throughout the NT) does not have these other specific connotations, given the highly mixed linguistic environment of 1st century Roman Palestine (and crucifixion was a distinctly Roman practice), it would not surprise me if Jesus’ disciplines heard overtones of the Latin crux percolating through Greek (or Aramaic) and may have interpreted 'take up your σταυρος’ as ‘take up your afflictions or burdens’.
 
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That’s actually a pretty solid answer: We have a yearning to find God. So perhaps just by asking OP is on the right track.
 
Spiritual growth and prayer life are directly related. If your prayer life is improving, then you are growing spiritually. From what was written in the OP, you are becoming holier.
 
SlavesOfJesusandMary said:
but I wonder how does one know they are in the right path towards holiness or already being holy?
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In my experience, we’re all liars. We easily convince ourselves we are what we are not.

But sooner or later we all experience a dire situation & the way we react tell us who we truly are. When my job is at stake, or my life in danger, or my honor is threatened… etc, etc, etc. Do I choose good & reject evil?

Or do I lie? Do I hide the truth? Do I share what God had entrusted to me, or do I hoard it away, save it for when I might need it?

When push comes to shove do I serve myself or do I serve God?

We’ve all got our limits. The question is how deep will you suffer before you choose yourself? Be honest with yourself. & know that if left on your own your limits are very shallow. Only God can give you the grace to suffer deep for His sake.
 
I’m not sure if you can tell if you’re becoming holier. The closer you get to God, the more you see your sinful nature. That’s why the saints always lament that they are full of sin. Obviously saints’ sins are minimal, but in the light of God’s holiness it puts them in stark contrast

I think what you have to focus on knowing, trusting, and loving God more.
 
I’m not sure this is the right question to ask.

Rather than bogging yourself down with musings on your growth in holiness (which can’t be quantified anyway), maybe it’s better to just take each day and each event as they come, as opportunities to respond with love towards God and man, to listen to His word and talk to Him.
 
An increase of peace in the midst of turmoil.

Also, as the old song says “the things of earth grow strangely dim” while one’s compassion for people increases
 
Although i have no issue with your advice, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking “how do I know if I’m on the right track?” That’s really how I took OPs question.
 
i am not sure what you mean by holier but lets assume you mean you find yourself detached and less and less surprized by the crazy things that you see going on around you and have come to see the pattern and the pattern is all the things Jesus told us about the world and the outcome of sin versus following His way. As was already pointed out I think we do see our flaws quicker the more we follow the way of Christ and we have to learn to live with the fact we will always have flaws and to swat at them like gnats circling our heads. and keep following the ways of Christ.
 
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