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"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).
Webster's Dictionary defines holiness as "the quality or state of
being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin;
sanctity."
Since the Lord
actually commands His people to become holy because He is holy, the
question arises: How does a sinful person receive the holiness of God in
order to become as holy as God is?
In the Old Testament
God imputed His holiness to the priesthood, commanding them to engrave the
words "Holiness to the Lord" upon a plate of pure gold and to
place it upon the "forefront of the mitre" (Exodus 28:37). This
sign of imputed holiness allowed the priest to come into the presence of
God without dying.
Holiness
in the New Testament
III Corinthians 5:17
states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The word
"new" is translated from a Greek word that means
"sanctified," carrying the meaning that the person become a
spiritual creation of God.
This new creation is
accomplished by the new birth of water and the Spirit as described in John
3:5-6: "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit." Thus in the New Testament, man's holiness is
God's character inborn into his nature by the infilling presence of the
Spirit of God.
The birth of the
Spirit makes a person a new creature. His old life is exterminated,
obliterated, and buried; the power of sin in the flesh is destroyed. In the
Old Testament "Holiness to the Lord" was written across the
priest's mitre; in the New Testament "Holiness to the Lord" is
written on the heart of the "new creature."
The baptism of the
Spirit makes God's love a blessed reality to the soul, out of which come
hope and peace and joy and all other foretastes of heaven. His coming into
the heart brings such disclosures of the divine nature, such revelations of
mercy and grace, and such exhibitions of infinite affections that the heart
feels itself surrounded and bathed in the love of God.
Holiness
Demonstrated & Typified in the Personal Life
· Old Testament Separation
Holiness is not only
an inward presence of God but it is also reflected in the outward life of
the Christian in his conduct in this world. Holiness was a demand placed
upon the Israelites that had to do with almost every act of their daily
performance. For example, an Israelite could not sow different seeds in his
vineyard, for to do so was an act of defilement against Almighty God. (See
Deuteronomy 22:9-11.) This command reminded the Israelites that they were
different from other people in the world.
The principle of
separation unto God was almost a continuous experience for the Israelites:
in their working, dressing, eating, and fellowship, they were not to mix
with the heathen or to indulge in the customs of heathenistic nations. This
command from God was for the purpose of holiness: "For thou art an
holy people unto the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Holiness
- New Testament Teaching
The New Testament is
clear and certain about the necessity of holiness. The apostle Paul wrote,
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication" (I Thessalonians 4:3). A Christian who
commits an act of fornication or adultery loses his sanctification. Thus
Paul explained that every Christian "should know how to possess his vessel
in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of the concupiscence,"
which means unbridled sexual desires. It is the Holy Spirit within a human
heart that gives a person the assistance he needs in restraining the forces
of lust. Another thing taught in this passage is that Christians are to be
honest in matters of business and daily duties. Christians are so to
practice the highest ideals of principle in monetary matters and social
relationships that they will not be a reproach to God or the church
Holiness
In the Character of Man
Scripture references:
I Samuel 16, 17; Philippians 4:1-9; Romans 12:1-2)
Inward and Outward Holiness
Jesus spoke of the
need of both inward and outward holiness when he scourged the scribes and
Pharisees: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are
full of extortion and excess" (Matthew 23:25).
The apostle Paul
wrote, "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 Corinthians 7:1). This verse reveals
the importance of both inner and outward holiness before God.
The apostle Peter
also wrote of the need for inner sanctification: "But let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price" (I Peter 3:4). This is the "inner parts" of holiness
about which David wrote in Psalm 51:6; it refers to the real person
(motives and secretive thoughts) that nobody else sees.
Jesus taught that
evil and goodness both emerge from the heart, which is the center of a
person's life. Concerning evil, He said, "For from within, out of the heart
of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the
man" (Mark 7:21-23). Thus true holiness is not possible without an
inner sanctification of the heart by the Holy Spirit.
Holiness
& Modesty
One area of outward
holiness is the matter of modesty. Modesty is not confined to dress alone.
It also includes conversation and manners. The Bible teaches us, "Let
your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand"
(Philippians 4:5). The apostle Peter admonished wives about both their
behavior and appearance: "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your
own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the
word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste
conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God of great price" (I Peter 3:1-4). The Word of God teaches
a distinction between the dress of a woman and a man: "The woman shall
not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a
woman's garments: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy
God" (Deuteronomy 22:5). The word "abomination" used by God
in this verse indicates that this rule will not change through all
generations. Christian men are not to wear women's clothing, and Christian
women are not to wear men's clothing.
Holiness
& Makeup
Today's Western
society reveals a desire for a synthetic appearance; dye for the hair,
paint for the face, mascara and liner for the eyes, and other forms of
make-up create artificiality rather than reality. These practices of using
make-up are not new, for Queen Jezebel, whose very image speaks of
rebellion and opposition to all that is godly and Christ-like, used facial
paint and other make-up in her vanity to attract the attention of men:
"And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she
painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out a window" (II Kings
9:30). The prophet Jeremiah condemned the actions of Israel by describing
the nation as a lewd woman: "And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou
do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee
with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with paintings, in
vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will
seek thy life" (Jeremiah 4:30).
The prophet Ezekiel
wrote along the same lines: "And furthermore, that ye have sent for
men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came:
for whom thou didst wash thyself, painted thy eyes, and deckedst thyself
with ornaments" (Ezekiel 23:40).
The New Testament
also addresses this matter: "I will therefore that men pray ever
where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner
also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness
and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly
array" (I Timothy 2:8-9).
Holiness
& Jewelry
The Scriptures teach
us that the wearing of ornamental jewelry and expensive, showy clothing is
not in harmony with the Christian lifestyle. Paul wrote, "In like
manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or
costly array" (I Timothy 2:9). Peter's writings agree: "Whose
adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel" (I Peter 3:3). The apostle
John described the harlot in Revelation by her attire: "And the woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious
stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness of her fornication" (Revelation 17:4).
Holiness
& Seperation
We are entrusted with
living in a world made by God but into which mankind's sinfulness has
brought corruption to economic, political, religious, and social
institutions. As pilgrims and strangers looking for a city whose builder
and maker is God, the people of God are not to follow the fads and fashions
of this world. On the contrary, they are to maintain holiness in their
personal lifestyle even in a wicked and perverted generation. The Bible
tells us, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I
John 2:15-16).
There is some good
achieved in bodily exercise while participating in some physical games and
activities, but it must be done in a godly atmosphere. For example, the
evils associated with competitive sports prohibits Christians from
participating in this area.
Separation from
worldliness also involves the length of hair for men and women. The apostle
Paul wrote, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I
praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the
ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the
head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the
head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head
covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth
with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as
if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn:
but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image
and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not
of the woman; but the woman is of the man. Neither was the man created for
the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to
have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the
man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For
as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all
things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God
uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long
hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory
to her: for her hair is given her for a covering" (I Corinthians
11:1-15).
Holiness
& Morality
The Bible teaches us
that people are saved out of all kinds of sinful backgrounds, but they are
not to continue to practice these sins after they become Christians:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of God" (I Corinthians 6:9-11). In this verse, the permissive,
promiscuous, degenerative sins are clearly outlined as transgressions of
the past life of Christians. The born-again person has been washed,
sanctified, and justified, and he no longer commits fornication, adultery,
homosexuality, drunkenness, and all other sins.
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