3 HOLINESS
Without holiness no one will see the Lord
(Hebrews 12:14)
Are we holy? Shall we see the Lord? Solomon tells us that
there is a time to weep and a time to laugh ... a time to be silent and a time
to speak
(Ecclesiastes 3:4,7). But the time to be
holy is
now! No matter
who
or what we are, we must be
holy
now. In this hurrying, bustling world, I ask to be heard about this matter.
1. What practical holiness is - and what sort of people are those whom God
calls holy
a) Holiness is the habit of agreeing with the will of God. It is loving what he
loves and hating what he hates. It is measuring everything in this life by the
standards of God's word, the Bible. Whoever agrees most entirely with God is
the most holy person.
-
Holiness is when a person endeavours to keep from every known evil and seeks
to keep every known requirement of God. It is to have a mind which loves God's
ways. Holiness is to feel like David when he said,
because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path
(Psalm 119:128). And Paul could say,
in my inner being I delight in God's law
(Romans 7:22).
c) Holiness is striving to be like Jesus, living a life of faith in Jesus,
drawing from him daily peace and strength. Holiness is to have
the mind of Christ (1
Corinthians 2:16) and so being
conformed to the likeness of his
(God's)
Son
(Romans 8:29). Christ was forgiving, unselfish, loving, humble, and obedient to
God. Christ was a faithful witness for the truth, denying himself to serve
others, meek and patient under insults, bold in denouncing sin, going about
doing good, frequently in prayer. These are the Christ-like virtues to follow
for our daily living.
Whoever- claims to live in him
(in God)
must walk as Jesus did (1
John 1:6). Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented, if people would
oftener ask, What would Christ have said or done in this situation?
d) Holy people are meek, gentle, patient, slow to talk of `standing on their
rights'. We see good examples of this in Moses when Aaron and Miriam spoke
against him, Numbers 12:3, and in David when Shimei cursed him, 2 Samuel 16:10.
e) Holy people are not self-indulgent. They will not allow wrong desires,
affections, or immoral inclinations to control their lives. As Jesus himself
warned his followers,
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness
and the anxieties of life
(Luke 21:34). (And nowadays this warning would undoubtedly apply to sexual
promiscuity, alcohol, drugs or anything else which is addictive - Ed.).
f) Holy people are full of love - the kind of love that Jesus spoke about in
the Sermon on the Mount and which Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13. Where
there is this love, lying, cheating, stealing, hurting other people in any way,
is impossible!
g) Holiness is love in action. This is not merely a matter of doing no harm; it
is to do good. Dorcas was
always doing good and helping the poor
(Acts 9:36). Paul was able to write to the believers at Corinth, I
will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well (2
Corinthians 12:15).
h) Holiness seeks purity of mind and heart. Such a person will dread all
uncleanness of spirit, and avoid anything which might lead him or her into
impurity. Who can be careless about these things, when David
(2
Samuel 11) - the man after God's own heart- committed such serious sin? Under
the old ceremonial laws of Israel whoever merely touched a bone, or dead body,
was at once unclean in God's sight. Few Christians are ever too careful about
purity of mind and heart!
i) Holiness is to have a deep respect for God and his ways. Like a child who
wishes to behave in ways that please the parents, so the believer loves God and
wants to please him. Nehemiah gives us a fine example of this when he declined
to act in a certain way saying,
Out of reverence for God I did not act like that
(Nehemiah 5:15).
j) Holy people are humble people, always esteeming others better than
themselves. Such people will always see more evil in their own hearts than in
the lives of others. They know what Abraham meant when he said, I
am nothing but dust and ashes
(Genesis 18:27), and Jacob, when he said, I
am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant
(Genesis 32:10), or Paul, when he said,
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst
(1
Timothy 1:15).
k) Holy people are faithful and reliable in their duties and relationships.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men
(Galatians
3:23)
wrote Paul to the church in Colosse. Holy people should aim at doing everything
well - good husbands, good wives, good parents, good children, good in private,
good in public, good at work and good in the home. Holiness is worth little if
it is not worth this much.
1) Finally, holy people are spiritually minded people. They recognise that this
life is a preparation for life in heaven. This means they are able to accept
that the only things of true value in this world are those which fit us for the
next.
We have looked at the character of those who are rightly called `holy'. But let
no believer be discouraged by such a list of aims. Holiness is only attained
with much effort. Growth in holiness brings an increased consciousness of sin.
Sanctification is always a progressive work; at best it is an imperfect work.
The holiest saints may have many a blemish in God's sight. Light will never
shine without some clouds and even the sun itself has spots on its face!
But while accepting the weak and, sinful side of human nature, the picture of
holiness given here can still be the goal of every believer. It is what they
strive to be, if it is not what they are.
2. Reasons why practical holiness is important
a) We must be holy because God commands it, in the Bible. The Lord Jesus said
to his disciples, I
tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven
(Matthew 5:20). And again,
Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect
(Matthew 5:48). Peter wrote, also to believers, As
he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be
holy, because I am holy (I
Peter 1:16).
b) We must be holy because it was to make us holy that Christ came into the
world.
Christ loved the church,
wrote Paul,
and gave himself up for her to make her holy, having cleansed her
(Ephesians 5:25,26). Christ died not merely to save us from the guilt of our
sins but also to save us from its power. Are believers said to be `elect'? It
is through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Are they `predestined'? It is
to be conformed to the likeness of his
(God's)
Son
(Romans 8:29). Are they chosen? It is that
they may be holy and blameless in his sight
(Ephesians 1:4). Are they called? It is
to a holy life (I
Timothy 1:9). Are they afflicted? It is the case that God
disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness
(Hebrews 12:10). Jesus is the complete Saviour who does not merely take away
the guilt of a believer's sin, but also breaks its power over the believer
enabling him or her to be holy.
c) Holiness is the evidence that faith in Christ is real. James warns that
there is such a thing as a dead faith; true faith will bear fruit; it will make
us holy (James 2:17,18). I suspect that people die in the same condition as
they have lived. Those only who live a holy life are the ones who die in
righteousness.
d) Holiness of life proves that our love to the Lord is sincere. The words of
Jesus make this very clear: If
you love me you will obey what 1 command
(John 14:15).
Those who love me will be loved by my Father and I too will love them and show
myself to them
(John 14:21). As
the Father has loved me so have 1 loved you. Now remain in my love
(John 15: 9). Plainer words than these would be difficult to find!
e) Holiness is the evidence that we are God's children. Jesus said to the Jews
who claimed to be God's children: If
God were your Father, you would love me
(John 8:42). We must prove by our actions that we do indeed belong to God's
family.
f) By being holy we help others to search for holiness. Our lives will always
be an example for good or evil, a silent sermon that others can read. It is sad
if our sermon is for the devil's cause and not for God's. O, for the sake of
others, if for no other reason, let us strive to be holy! If
any do not believe the word, they may be wont over without words ... when they
see the purity and reverence of your lives
(I Peter 3:1).
g) Our present comfort depends upon our holiness. Too often we forget the
connection between sin and sorrow. We forget that God's plan is that our
happiness depends upon how we fulfill his will.
Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions arid in truth ... This is
how we set our hearts at rest in his
(God's)
presence. (I
John 3:18,19). When the disciples deserted Christ and fled they escaped danger
but they were miserable. When, later, they confessed him boldly before men they
rejoiced
because they had beers counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name
(Acts 5:41).
h) Without holiness on earth we shall never be prepared for holiness in heaven.
Our characters are not altered by death. We will rise on the judgment day
having exactly the same character as that with which we died. Only those who
are prepared for heaven will be happy in heaven. Suppose for a moment you were
allowed to enter heaven without holiness - what would you do there? Holiness is
everywhere in heaven; what enjoyment could you find there?
Let me remind you of the verse at the beginning of this chapter:
Without holiness no-one will see the Lord.
Surely such words prompt us to self-examination. Are we holy? Do we think, feel
and act as we know Christ would think, feel and act? All
who have this hope in them purify themselves, just as he
(Christ) is pure (1 John 3:3). To purify ourselves is a difficult thing to do,
but it is essential.
I do not ask, `Do you attend church regularly? Have you been baptized? Do you
call yourself a Christian?' I do not ask whether you approve the holy lives of
others. I do not even ask if you can talk about holy things - I ask something
more: `Are you yourself holy this very day?'
3. Some advice to those who desire to be holy
a) Begin with Christ. Sometimes people try to make themselves holy, and a sad
work they make of it. All we need to do is to turn to Christ; to come to him by
faith and be joined to him.
Apart from me you can do nothing
(John 15:5) is how Jesus himself expressed it.
b) Holiness is Christ's special gift to his people. It is the result of being
united to him. If it is holiness you desire then I urge you, wait for nothing;
wait for nobody; go to Christ.
c) To continue in holiness we must abide in Christ. He is the physician to whom
you must go daily if you would keep spiritually well. He is the manna which you
must daily eat, the rock from whom you must continually drink. I
can do everything through him who gives me strength
(Philippians 4:13), wrote Paul.
May all who read these pages know these things by experience and not merely by
hearsay!
back to the list of lessons
back to disciple's home page