Holiness is the very nature of God. It is impossible for God to sin. It is not about Him not willing to sin; but in His nature He cannot sin. Prophet Habakkuk gives us an insight to the nature of the God of Heaven. In Habakkuk 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity”. God is awesomely holy that everything within and around God revolves in holiness. God’s plans are hatched and carried out in holiness; His thoughts and disposition are holy. His judgment is holy. God demands holiness from His people. Leviticus 20:7 “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God”. Leviticus 19:2 “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”. In these Bible passages we can see that God does not mince His word when he demands holiness. The nature of God demands absolute holiness when we are dealing with Him. For it is not enough to be born again; but we do need to press on for the second work of grace. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross includes our sanctification. It is the will of God that believers are saved, sanctified and in-filled with the Holy Spirit. Sanctification experience makes it easy for us to walk with God in purity of heart. It is the removal of the Adamic nature in us; the inbreed sin; the nature of sin. The uprooting of the tap root of sin occurs when we are sanctified after we are born again. When we come to Jesus in repentance of our sins; and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, our sins are forgiven. We are transformed and renewed; and begin a new life in Christ. The next thing God does is to deal with our sin nature. This is the second work of grace. He gives us a new heart! A heart of purity! Holiness becomes very easy to practice.
We will look into the Scripture to find other words for HOLINESS.
PURITY OF HEART – (Matthew 5:8). It is having a Jesus’ kind of heart. A heart that will not entertain sin. A heart full of the desires to please God in everything and in all things. A heart void of offense towards God or man. If you are to x-ray the heart of a believer who is sanctified you will find no place for hypocrisy, lust, revenge, anger, envy, jealousy, malice, grudges, resentment and such like things.
PERFECTION – (Matthew 5:48). Implies full development; growth into maturity of godliness.
SANCTIFICATION – Jesus prayed for the sanctification of the body of Christ – the church. John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (Verse 19) “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth”. Christ sought the face of the Father on behalf of the church so that the church could be sanctified. We need to seek God’s face for this wonderful experience. It is the only way we can be able to see God and have fruitful relationship with Him.
A CLEAN HEART – ( Psalm 51:10, Isaiah 52.11). A heart purged by the Holy Spirit; cleansed from all impurity of live by the power of God. A heart void of internal sin. Someone whose heart is made clean by God can never enjoy sin or struggle with sin anymore. Such heart will never give a place for impure thought; cannot tolerate evil imagination; cannot be involve in sinful indulgence and cannot retain ungodly disposition. Isaiah 52:11 says “Be clean that bear the vessels of the LORD”.
As people of God are we holy in all ramification?
God expects us to have all round holiness. Holy in heart, thought, imagination, disposition, in our action, word, in our motive, in all our plans and purpose.
1. Holiness and the nature of God
The nature of God forbids every form of ungodliness. God is a holy God and cannot behold sin or iniquity. His throne was established in holiness, the Angels all around Him are holy. In fact the Old Testament believers could not qualify to come into His presence. The dead OT believers went to Abraham’s bosom until Christ through His death and blood brought them into God’s presence. God is absolutely holy. His holiness demands that sin must be judged and punished. But His love demands that everyone be saved.
My friend are you saved? Or are you deceiving everyone including your pastor to be a born again believer? Have you confessed your sins and turn away from them? Are you expecting to be raptured if the Lord comes today? Are you a candidate of heaven? Are your sins forgiven and purged in the blood of the Lamb of God. Do you desire the things that are pleasing to God? Or are you rebellious and disobedient to the word of God? If you die today where will you spend eternity? Are you one of those that take the love of God for granted? Do you always say God is love and you are still living in sin day in day out? My friend make your way right with God today. Ask for entire sanctification of the Lord. This is a definite work of grace. You cannot make yourself holy. It is gotten by faith in Christ. Let Him make you holy today.
2. Holiness the choice of the converted.
It is not enough to be saved. We must experience the life of holiness to be able to please or see God and to walk with Him. We have no choice after salvation but to press on to holiness.
A. Holiness gives us authority over the devil.
B. It keeps us from struggling with sin.
C. It makes us to possess the divine nature of God – 2 Peter 1:3-4, Hebrew 12:10, 1 John 3:2).
D. It is the only means to see God – Hebrew 12:14.
E. Anointing comes through holiness – Hebrew 1:9.
F. Holiness breeds Power, divine Prosperity, divine Possession, Peace, Progress, divine Protection & Preservation, divine Promotion, Purity and Plenty in all things.
Holiness enables the Holy Spirit to come “in” to a believer. There is a threefold personal relationship of the Spirit to the believer. “With” “in” “upon”. (John 14:16-17). When we are sanctified we experience the fullness of the indwelling Holy Spirit in us.
Holiness should be the life style of every believer. It pays to live holy right here on earth and life after. Holiness is possible! God would not have demanded it, Jesus would not have asked the Father to sanctify believers, and the Holy Spirit would not have through Paul instructed us to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. (Heb. 12:14). God can make you holy today. Ask and you will receive.