But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. {1 Peter 1:15}
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. {1 Thessalonians 4:7}
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, holiness is: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
Holiness is a tricky subject people don’t want to talk about. I think because holiness belongs more to God than to us mere mortals, and to try to be holy is almost near impossible. And it is. As a matter of fact, the dictionary further defines holiness as something that is devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not writing about holiness because I’ve got this down pat. I’m writing about it because it’s one of the things I struggle with. Holiness I’m finding out is something you must find in God, not in yourself. It’s never going to happen by your own will and power. Your flesh is not strong enough to want to be holy. Remember what the scripture tells us, the flesh is enmity with God. Paul tells us,
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. {Romans 8:7}
But Christ has overcome the flesh and sin at the cross, so we have no excuse. We must be holy and it is possible through Him. Remember the beautiful scripture Paul taught us:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. {Philippians 4:13}
With the Lord Jesus, we can do anything – even be holy.
Holiness is from the inside out. The more I come to know who Jesus is in my life, the more I come to realize that holiness is not just looking “holy” on the outside. It actually begins on the inside – from our minds. I grew up thinking that if you look like a monk and act like a monk, then you must be holy. Not necessarily. I came to find out that dressing like a monk or a nun, or even a priest or a preacher doesn’t make a person holy. I remember an experience I had years ago when I was still very little in a prayer meeting. We were all singing to the Lord when one of the ladies wearing a long white gown and very long hair barked at one of us kids for talking. I was so surprised at her manner and attitude it never left me. I was so confused to say the least. I thought, “How can she look so holy and pure and just act so awful like that?” She was not nice at all. She scared the life out of me.
Holiness is not an easy thing to have. How many times years later I came to realize that I’ve become that woman. I want to be holy and tried to be holy, but boy did I struggle. I went to church, led the song service, taught the Sunday School. But if someone got me mad, watch out! If anyone interrupted me from what I was doing, I could feel my wrath coming to that person. How can one be holy? Holiness was harder to attain when you’re in church and you’re supposed to be nice. I thought it would have been better if I didn’t go to church or belong to any church at all. It is not easy to stay nice when you don’t feel like being nice. Years later though, after spending more and more time in prayer, being nice through the Lord was possible after all. We can have holiness and love people too. We can do what is good and right in His eyes and even have pure thoughts, and it’s not even a struggle anymore. The more we spend time with Him the more He will make this possible. Paul says this prayer to the church at Ephesus. He writes,
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. {Ephesians 3:14-19}
This is the key to all things – the Spirit of Christ filling us through and through so we end up walking in His power and might, and not through our own ability. It is a supernatural experience with Jesus Christ when we’re always spending time with Him. I know for sure that when I spend more time with the Lord, the more I have patience with people. I can love and understand them better. But I know I’m in trouble and need to spend more time with Him when I’m feeling impatient with people. I have no desire to listen or to patronize them. I just want to be somewhere else than to hear them ramble on and on about themselves. I couldn’t care less. But when I have the joy of the Lord in my heart and His love filling up inside of me, I get so interested with people’s stories. I want to know what they feel and what they’re thinking. I desire to understand them.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. {Ephesians 3:20-21}
The Lord will help us if we spend time with Him and talk to Him all the time. Everything is possible through Him. We don’t have to worry about trying to be holy and failing in the process. All we have to do is spend more time in His presence loving Him and blessing His wonderful name, that soon we will be more like Him. It’s called the power of influence. The more we spend time with a person the more we will be like them. The more we spend time with Jesus talking to Him and loving Him, the more we will be like Him.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. {Galatians 5:22-23}
I’m finding out that unless we allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in our heart and soul, we have no chance of being holy. Holiness is so important to have in our lives, because without holiness the Bible tells us we cannot see the Lord. Apostle Paul writes in the Book of Hebrews,
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. {Hebrews 12:14}
We all have our own struggle in trying to please the Lord, but we don’t have to be alone in it. It doesn’t matter if your struggle of holiness is with having a pureness of heart or a pureness of mind. All are the same with the Lord. Holiness is the key to seeing more of God. The more we have a heart that is pure and holy before Him, the more we will see Him. Jesus tells us,
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. {Matthew 5:8}
The Lord doesn’t require us to be holy and upright without His help. If we can be pure and holy without Him, then we wouldn’t have needed Him to die for our sins at the cross. We wouldn’t have needed Him to be the Perfect Lamb of God who takes our sins away. But because we do need Him, He gave His life for us. We need to have Him come and take our sins away. We need to have Him come and make us pure and holy. He can do it. It is possible through Him. Don’t be overwhelmed and get discouraged. Just an hour or two with Him everyday, in His word, talking to Him and loving Him, is all it takes for the power of God to start working through us. Remember the more we spend time with Him the more we will be like Him. Holiness is possible through Jesus Christ. Let Him do it. Let Him accomplish His work in us, and soon being nice, holy, and pure in our hearts and thoughts will not be a struggle anymore. It will become more and more natural and possible. It will even be something we desire to do all the time. With the Lord all things are possible. Through Jesus Christ we can do all things.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. {Romans 6:22}
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. {Psalm 51:10}
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. {Ephesians 2:10}
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. {Ephesians 1:4}
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. {Leviticus 19:2}
Prayer
Father, all things are possible with You. Nothing is too hard with You. I thank You Lord Jesus for Your great sacrifice at the cross at Calvary because through it we have the power to be called the sons and daughters of God. Through You, Jesus, we can belong to God and be holy and be acceptable to God.
Help me though Lord Jesus to submit my heart to You everyday and spend an hour or two with You. I can do nothing on my own, I need You. Without You I have no holiness or righteousness to speak of. Without Your Spirit in me nothing supernatural can ever take place in my life. Please help me then to entertain You in my life more and more. Help me to shun the things of this world, because the things of this world are an enemy to You. Please Jesus, have Your way and Your power and Spirit in me. Help me to spend the time that You desire for me to have with You. I pray this Father, in Your most wonderful and awesome name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
