Follow after, or pursue holiness. There are a lot of things we pursue in this world. Holiness is probably not among the top ten. In fact, I would say that holiness is probably not very high on the list at all.

What is holiness? The dictionary says -

To desire something and to pursue something are very different. WE may desire something intensely and still fail to pursue it. You may desire a college degree and yet not have the commitment to pursue it. Pursuing takes work – hard work. Desiring comes easily.

What do we know of holiness today? We think of rules, lists and lists of rules. We think of women wearing long dresses, their hair in a bun, trying to look as unattractive as possible. We think of men with squeaky clean haircuts and strict, prudish lifestyles.

And these things actually have very little to do with true holiness. That’s more legalism than holiness. Holiness is a thing of the heart, not of the external appearance. Cross one of those ‘holy looking’ people and you will soon find yourself facing a holy terror. You may get a holy tongue lashing. Some of those ‘holy looking’ people may be the worst gossips around. They may give the appearance of "Christianity" but show very little of the mercy, grace and love of God.

Holiness is simply a sincere desire to please God and the corresponding actions to bring it about. If you want holiness, you must pursue it. You must want it more than anything else.

Holiness, to the carnal mind, sounds like anything but fun. But how far from the truth that is. Holiness is what God is all about. And God is neither boring nor prudish.

Holiness is doing what Jesus would do. Speaking of that, by the way, I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "WWJD" – what would Jesus do? But the driver was driving like the devil. I don’t think he was pursuing holiness.

Holiness is shunning the filth and filthiness of this world.

Holiness is living with love toward everybody and treating like you love them.

Holiness is enjoying the fulness of God and His uninterrupted presence. You cannot enjoy the presence of God when guilt is weighing you down.

How many of us truly desire to be holy. In fact, how many of us would act holy if there was no one to see it? I read the other day, "Honesty is telling the truth to other people; integrity is telling the truth to ourselves."

I think the truth of the matter is that we desire to get away with things. WE desire God’s forgiveness. We desire His blessing. WE need to desire and pursue His holiness.

Do you know what true hunger and thirst is? True hunger will drive you to a desperate pursuit of food. True thirst will drive you to an unrelenting pursuit for water. Few of us understand true hunger and thirst.

Can you live without food and water? Not for long. Can you live without holiness? Sure you can! You’ve been doing it for years. But the truth is, pretended holiness won’t do you any more good than pretend water will.

We may crave, but we don’t really hunger. Our mouth may water, but that’s not really hunger. That’s indulgence. WE know how to indulge. But we don’t know how to be holy.

When is the last time you did something just to please God? When is the last time you did something for no logical reason – no personal benefit to yourself – but just to make God happy.

We must change our way of thinking. We want forgiveness because we know we have done wrong. But do we want to do right? No! Not often enough. WE want to get away with as much as we can. We want to know exactly where the limits are so we can get as close as possible without crossing the line.

Let me tell you something. If that’s your attitude, you’ve already crossed the line. Holiness is doing what is right, just because it is right. Holiness is doing what is right according to God, not according to your feelings or opinions.

The Ten Commandments are not negotiable. Neither is God’s will. You must do it or pay the price for disobedience. Fortunately, we have God’s grace and mercy to fall back on. We have the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin. But do we use that as an excuse to fail at holiness. God forbid!

Thank God, we are not under the law, but neither are we above the law. Neither are we without the law.

There is an infection is the body today. It is unholiness. AS long as there is conflict, jealousy and strife (and there is strife in the body), as long as there is disobedience, there will be no revival. Until we start living in holiness, we will suffer the curse of unholiness. (I’ve just been looking at the giving records for February, and frankly, if I were some of you, I would be afraid to get in my car and drive home after church. You are living in blatant sin and you have taken yourself out of the protective custody of God. You are on your own!

Now let me just say this. If you are not tithing, don’t come and tell me your financial woes. I can’t help you. You are an unrepentant sinner and even God can’t help you until you repent.

But, if you ought against someone in the church, don’t you dare put your money in the offering plate until you have made every effort to cleanse your heart of bitterness and unforgiveness and make things right with your brethren.

Unholiness! God hates it.

You will never see God without holiness. The closer you get to Him, the cleaner you will live and the cleaner you live the closer you will get to Him. And the closer you get and the cleaner you get, the greater power you will see flowing through your life. Purity leads to power with God.

America has lost her place in this world because she has lost her righteousness. And do you want to know America has lost her righteousness? Because of the church!

The rise and fall of a nation is always a spiritual matter. Several years ago, a few high profile evangelists and ministers of the gospel were caught up in sex scandals. Now, we have a president – the leader of our nation – caught in a continuous series of sex scandals and most people don’t even care. After all, the church is doing it. It can’t be all that bad. My God, we have taught them how to ignore sin. We’re supposed to be teaching them how to live holy. We’re supposed to be setting the example.

I say to you this day, the time for falling on the floor and jumping pews is over. The time for giggling in the Holy Ghost is over. It is time to fall forward on our faces and repent. It is time to pray – first for ourselves, for our cleansing – and then for our evangelism. It is time to witness – it is time to set the right example. It is time to be holy.

Falling on the floor will tickle your innards, but holiness will cleanse your innards.

Can we be holy? Can we live holy?

Holiness has been imputed upon you. Jesus’ righteousness is yours and He is our righteousness.

Furthermore –

We have His divine nature in us.

Mark these words – Grace is flowing from the throne of heaven, but so is holiness. His divine nature is available to you. Don’t miss it!