HOLINESS

Raphael Oye. Taiwo

          The Bible makes it abundantly clear to the people of God that there is no other way they can live before God and please God than the way of holiness.

          Any Christian who thinks that God will tolerate sin in his life because of his service in the Lord’s kingdom, because of some qualities he possesses or because of who he is, is kidding himself. Such a Christian is laboring under demonic delusion and he should watch out.

          Let’s see what the Bible has to say to us about the subject of holiness.

Lev 11:45 

For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Lev 20:7 

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Rom 12:1 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1Co 3:17 

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Eph 1:4 

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph 5:27 

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Tit 1:8 

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

1Pe 1:15 

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

2Pe 3:11 

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

WHY HOLINESS

God has called us to holiness

1Thes. 4:7 

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

God called us out of sin into holiness. He has translated us from the kingdom of darkness (sin) into the kingdom of light (holiness). If we don’t live a holy life, we fail to fulfill a major calling of the Lord upon our life.

God is holy, so we must be holy, as the children of our heavenly Father

1Pe 1:16 

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy

The only way we can really prove to heaven and the world is to be like our Father. God the Father is holy, so must we be. We must be holy in words, in thoughts and in deeds.

A person is recognized as not belonging to God by the sinful ways he lives. Nobody who really belong to God will live in sin as his habit.

None shall see God without holiness

Heb 12:14 

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

In this life sin blocks the vision of God, and in the world to come, the sinners chance of ever seeing God. Hell is the farthest place a man can stay from God and sin will drive a man dear. How great the sorrow of a man will be to find that He cannot spend even a minute in the heaven of God to behold the wonderful face of the Father just because of the evanescent pleasure of sin.

A Christian shouldn’t be stupid enough to believe that he can live a life of sin in this world and be allowed to spend eternity in the holy heaven to behold the face of the holy Father. Certainly, without holiness, a person cannot see God.

None shall inherit the kingdom of God without holiness

Eph 5:5 

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

No person who lives a life that is not holy in this world can, and should expect to spend eternity in heaven, the realm of holiness.

Holiness is necessary to God's worship

Psa 24:3-4 

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

HOW TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE

Be born again or be saved

2 Tim.1:9 

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works…  A person who is not saved has not received the calling to holiness.

When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit takes residence in his heart and gives him grace to live a holy life the Lord desires.

A person is made a new creature at the time of the second birth.  ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new .‘ (2Co 5:17). The old sinful desires, lifestyles and actions are gone forever – at least, that how it should be.

Love the Lord with all your heart

Deut 6:5 

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deut 11:1 

Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Mat 22:36-38 

36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

37.  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

38.  This is the first and great commandment.

You cannot live a holy life that the Lord desires if you don’t love the Lord with all your mind and heart. It is our love for God that enables us to fear Him and obey His instructions.

If you are really desirous of living a holy life, learn to really love God. 

Desire holiness

Heb 12:14 

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord Heb 12:14. BBE  Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord .

As children of the holy God, our desire must be for holiness. Unless you desire to live a holy life, you will fail to do so.

Yield your members as instruments of holiness and present your body to God in holiness

Rom 6:13 

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:19 

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Rom 12:1 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

God has a part to play in our sanctification, and we too have a part to play. Jesus plays His part when He poured out His blood upon us. ‘Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.’ Heb 13:12. The Holy Spirit played His part when He washed us with the blood of Jesus and imparts to us grace to live a holy life.

Our part is to yield, surrender, every part of our body to God in holiness. As you offer your body daily to God as a living sacrifice, the grace of the Holy Spirit will help you to live a life of holiness.

Let your conversations be in accordance with the demand of holiness

1Pe 1:15 

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation

2Pe 3:11 

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness

Put your tongues under the control of the Holy Spirit. Avoid lewd jokes, dirty speeches, unfair criticism, unnecessary judging of others, slandering, telling lies and twisting the truth. ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ 1Th 5:21 

Abide in Christ

John 15:4-5 

4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

          To live a life of holiness, you must abide in Christ. Many are they who have been born again who refuse to stay in Jesus. Every now and then, they come in and go out of the safe territory, which is in Christ, to fool around with the devil in the enemy territory. Their inability to stay in Christ and put down root deep in Him prevents them from bearing fruits.

Avoid everything that is inconsistent with holiness and separate yourself from ungodly things

Isa 52:11 

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

2 Cor. 6:17 

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you… Num 16:26  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

          To live a holy life you must quit the camps of the sinners and separate yourself from all ungodly things unto holiness. If you are foolish enough to run around with sinful people, some of their sinfulness will rob off on you.