HOLINESS

Commanded Lev11:45, 20:7

CHRIST
Desires this for His people Jn 17:17
Effects in His people Eph 5:25-27
An example of. Heb 7:26; I per 2:21-22
The Charcer of God is the standar of Lev. 19:2 with 1 Pwr 1:15-16
The character of Christ is the standard of Rom 8:29; 1jn 2:6
The gospel is the way of Is 35:8
Is necessary for the worship of God Ps. 24:3-4
None will see God with out Heb 12:14

THE SAINTS
Elected to Rom 8:29; Eph 1:4
called 1Thess 4:7 2 Tim 1:9
New are created in Eph 4:24
Possess 1 Cor 3:17 Heb 3:1
Have their fruit in Rom 6:22
Should follw after Heb 12:14
Should serve God in Lk 1: 74-75
Should yield their members as instruments of Rom 6: 13,19
Should present their bodies to God in Rom 12:1
Should lives their lives in 1 pet 1:15, 2pet 3:11
Should continue in Lk 1:75
Should seek perfection in 2cor 7:1
Will be presented to God in Col 1:22;1Thess 3:13
Will continue in, forever Rev 22:11
The behviou of older women should be suitable in Titues 2:3
Will continue in, forever Rev 22:11
The behaviour of older women should be suitable in Titus 2:3
A promise to women who continue in 1 Tim 2:15
Promised to the Church Is 25:8; Obad verse 17
Adorns the Church ps93:5
The church is the beauty of IChron 16:29; Ps 29:2
The word of God is the means of Producing Jn 17:17; 2Tim 3:16-17

By pastor. Yesuratnam

Do you think holiness is something that is produced from a life of obedience? In other words when we have a direct command in Scripture, and do it, does the holiness come from obeying the commands? Or does it come from a degree of God? When he took away our sins did he also give us his righteousness in return? Does holiness come from him declaring us Holy or do we some how pay a price for it? Or is it both we have positional holiness based on what Christ did but practical holiness based on what we do?

I HAVE HEARD BOTH SIDES WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Do you think holiness is something that is produced from a life of obedience?

Holiness is an attribute of God's deity. He is 'holy'. We acquire our holiness by association with Him. This was true of the items in the Temple. They were 'holy' because they were seperate from all other vessels in the world. They were set apart to God. It was their set-apart-ness to God that made them holy.

Holy means 'seperate' and 'other'. When we look at holiness in terms of behavior we have to look at Jesus Christ. There was nothing weird about Jesus and He was not given to a whole lot of wild extremes in things. A lot of things we esteem as 'holy' are nothing more than ascetic practices. He didn't beat His back with a whip or any such thing. This is man trying to be holy.

Holiness is the seperate and otherness of Christ. He was unlike anyone in the perfection of His character and conversation. The HOLY Spirit comes into our lives to make that which was true in Christ- true also in us. The HOLY Spirit comes to make us holy. What does that mean? To make us more like Christ (Christlike). Nothing more and nothing less. If it does not look like Jesus Christ it is not holiness. Folk who are truly holy are not aware of it. They don't look in the mirror and say, "My my my, I am getting so holy!" Folk who truly walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and yield the FRUIT of the Spirit are holy. They yeild their fruit unto holiness and in the end... everlasting life.

When he took away our sins did he also give us his righteousness in return? Does holiness come from him declaring us Holy or do we some how pay a price for it?

To buy holiness would be to buy the Holy Spirit. The apostle rebuked a man for that in Acts. Buying may mean more than money- can I suffer enough for it? Can I work enough for it? Can I 'sacrifice' enough for it? Can I be holy if I fast and pray to the point of death? The answer to all those questions is [i]no[/i]. Holiness is imputed and imparted to the true child of God.

If I might so say, holiness is not a competition either. I used to get into those. I don't do this that and a hundred other things so I am the holiest man I know, right?. Rediculous. My, I don't even drink coffee and that tops many holiness people. Probably made the Lord gag if the truth be told.

Holiness is worked out in us as you say through our obedience to the Holy Spirit and our constantly infilling of Him. We cannot be holy in ourselves. To think we can is to mistake asceticism or legalism with real holiness. This is what the pharisees did. Stay full of the Holy Ghost and walk in the Spirit and you won't have to be preoccupied with being holy. No need to make the word of God more strict than it is and impose on yourself things that God never required. If God deals with you... obey- but trying to make ourselves holier by these other things is vain. I can starve myself to anorexia and not be a single space holier. Because holiness is walking in the person of Jesus Christ. That is all God wants. He wants to make you in the image of His Son.

Stay full of the Holy Ghost and walk in the Spirit and you won't have to be preoccupied with being holy. No need to make the word of God more strict than it is and impose on yourself things that God never required.

Amen!

Statements like this make me think, "What are people who cry "Legalist!" walking in?" I think that most of these who cry so vehemently against it, are the most unwilling to give up some secret sin.

Both sides are true , or rather half-true
In other words , when God says : "You will be holy because I am holy" some consider this word as a commandment , and others more like a promise.

When we first believed , we were declared righteous by God , because rightousness comes from faith in what God has done and said.
And we are already sanctified by the Word and the Spirit we have received.

And Now ?
Basically , we become holy not by our efforts, but by the desire to be like Him . We are destined to be pure (and obedient and humble) like Himself is pure.
God Himself creates this desire in our heart to be like Him, to become what he has appointed us to become.
If what we shall become as not yet been revealed , we know that Jesus has opened the true and holy Way.

It is by love and obedience ...
One day I was tempted to do a bad thing , He said to me :"If you love me , don't do this"...
Obeying Jesus' teachings and following Him is the Way to Holiness.
Himself does the work in us , He just asks us to walk as obedient sons of God.....and then the Word will be accomplished in us.

"Be Ye obedient and enter in my Rest".

Pastor. Yesuratnam