To Be Holy

Hebrews 12:!3
Make every effort to live on peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

The above exhortatjon, even a command, is couched in a chapter that exhorts its readers to press on to practical holiness in their lives. This is a practical holiness that bearkens back to a holy race the believer is to run by faith.

The opening verses of Hebrews 12 speak of those witnesses that have run the faith race and are now in heaven cheering the Hebrew saints and us to run that same race. The verses exhort the believer to throw off everything that hinders and tthe sin that so easily entangles. And to run the race fixing their eyes on Jesus.

In a sense Hebrews 12:14 is reaffirming what Heb.12:1-3 exhorts tbe believer to do. To be holy. To pursue holiness. To make every effort to be holy. Heb. 12:3 speaks of the believer's struggle against sin. Again the exhortation to practical holiness.

Holiness or sanctification implies we are a peculiar people who have been set apart for God. The word sanctify conveys a calling we are saints. As saints we are to live out that holy calling by pursuing holiness in every area of our lives.

The New Testament tells the believer they are called to a holy life. As such imperatives are given by the New Testament writers for the believers to be holy in every area of their lives. In work, church, family, relationships, etc. The believer is to exhibit practical holiness.

Thus the exhortive command is to make every effort to be holy. What is implied here is faith obedience to Jexus himself. The admonition that follows is without holiness no one will see the Lord. This should be enough of a sobering reality to admonish any believer to pursue holiness in all areas of their lives with a heart passion for Jesus.

Posted by Bearmaster.

In the exhortive command to make every effort to be at peace with all men, the implication is the believer has peace in bis heart. Tbis would assume the believer has the peace of Jesus in his heart.

Then the other part of the exhortive command. And to be holy. A sister remarked to me that the verse says "be holy" not "do holy". Naturally the question arose. What does it mean " to be holy". What is the writer exhorting the believer to do by being holy?

If being at peace with all men conveys the idea of God's peace in us. Peace in the believers heart. Then to "be holy" conveys the idea of God's holiness in us. Holiness in our hearts. Here lies the issue. Holiness is a heart attitude.

Perhaps the verse in Hebrews could better understood in using the term Christlikeness. If the verse were parapbrased to make every effort to be "Christlike". Then it would be readily understood that being Christlike is reflecting the character of Jesus Christ in our walk with him.

This is the dynamic reality of the Spirit working within the heart of the believer to manifest that fruit of Gal. 5 in their heart. This reality is also expounded by Jesus in John 15 in the analogy of the vine and branches. He is the vine and we are the branches. The fruit of holiness stems from an organic relationship with Jesus.

Thus the believer's walk of holiness is "relational" not "regulational".

Still thinking this out in Jesus.

Bearmaster.

Brother Zeke gave the best description of holiness I have seen thus far.

"Holiness is a person, Jesus. It's not a question of growing in holiness but growing in the knowledge of him. The more I see Jesus is all that I need, holiness does not seem like a state attained and needed for blessing, but a life lived which is Christ Jesus himself."

The brother captured more in a few words than what my rambling post was trying to convey in many words.

In essence holiness is the life if the holy Christ being lived out in us.

Bearmaster.