Fall 1995
Holiness
Elayne Dwight.

"Because it is written, Be holy; for I
am holy" I Peter 1:16.

Holiness originates in God Himself. Throughout the Bible, whenever the name and nature of God is revealed, holiness is stressed.

God is "glorious in holiness" and acts with "His holy arm." The words and promises of God are holy. God even answers by His holiness. Therefore, we know that we can trust His word to us.

"Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His
footstool; for He is holy" Psalm 99:5.

Holiness is interwoven with true righteousness and purity. To seek holiness apart from God Himself would be to stray from the path of holiness itself.

Collectively and individually, the Church is referred to as "holy."

"Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone;
In whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom
ye also are builded together for an habitation
of God through the spirit" Eph 2:20b-22

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any
man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are" I Cor 3:16-17.

The church is also referred to as a "holy nation."

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should
shew forth the praises of Him who has called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light" I Peter 2:9.

The church as a whole, both individual believers and local churches, are called "saints" (holy ones). To the Roman believers, Paul wrote,

"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called
to be saints..." Rom 1:7.

To the Corinthian believers he wrote,

"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth,
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints, with all that in
every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord, both theirs and ours" I Cor 1:2.

Note that the words "to be," which proceed the word "saints" in each of these verses is in italic. This tells us that these words are not in the original text.

Jesus died for the Church, for each individual member, to make it holy. Knowing this, we should be living holy lives. He requires of us a separation from all that would defile us again. Having been made righteous through the righteousness of Christ, we are responsible to withdraw from all that is "ungod-like."

In the Bible, Egypt is likened to the world system.

"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 11:45.

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God" II Cor 7:1.

We cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh by not committing sinful acts. Reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ, we do not allow sin to rule in our body. The members of our body are now to be used as instruments of righteousness unto God.

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom
ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?" Rom 6:16.

"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 6:19b.

Where once we allowed the entrance of evil to come into us, we must now protect our spirit by being selective as to what we partake of. Our responsibility before God is to be spiritually discriminate. In doing so, we not only cleanse ourselves from filthiness, but we remain clean; which is our reasonable service unto God. At the same time we do ourselves a great service by avoiding the pitfalls of the devil, whose aim is to destroy us.

"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. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" Rom 12:1-2.

We are changed by the renewing of our mind. This is accomplished as we spend time getting to know the Lord through a daily relationship of worship, prayer, and reading His Word. A continuation of these things and the maintenance of a daily relationship with Him will bring our thoughts into agreement with His.

We are told that the day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night. Therefore Peter tells us, "Be diligent that ye be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless" 2 Peter 3:14b.