Holiness
“Holiness is like a diamond. It has many facets”
– Dr. Roger Green at Holiness Ablaze, 2010
Holiness. Holy is defined by Dictionary.com as, “1. Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred. 2. Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly: a holy person, and, 3. Specified or set apart for a religious purpose: a holy place. That’s an easy answer to the following question. What is holiness?
Introduction:
I (Matt Stacy) learned a lot about holiness when attending Holiness Ablaze, a Salvation Army conference in Boston, Massachusetts with Holiness as the theme during the second week in January 2009. I traveled there with my class from Railton School for Youth Worker Training which is located on the campus of SFOT where Salvationists are educated in ministry as well to eventually become ordained ministers. While there, we were required to record notes for a reflection paper as part of a graded assignment. This was done for a couple reasons. First we get to practice taking notes and second it keeps us focused on what was being presented at this retreat for Salvationists. It would have been an obligation if what I learned wasn’t so profoundly intriguing, convicting, and insightful. I gained a lot that will, for quite some time, expand and reveal a truer idea of holiness as my life as a Christian continues. Especially now, that I’m on the frontline of the ministry. As I dig deeper into the concept of holiness, should you join me, we will find that holiness might not be what you have always thought it was.. It’s better…
During the weekend my Railton class attended almost a dozen lectures about the idea of holiness including the history of influences such as Samuel L. Brengle, William and Catherine Booth, John Wesley, and others who’s theology and philosophy helped shape the theology and mission of The Salvation Army and it’s views on holiness.
Sermon:
One- What Holiness Isn’t
The second lecture I attended was presented by Dr. Roger Green, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. His presentation described the development of William Booth’s theology on holiness. Dr. Green presented William Booth touching an important point in his preaching of holiness. Above we have asked the question, “What is holiness”. Finding the answer to this question is integral to a life long faith in God, but I also find that it’s important to find out what holiness isn’t. William Booth gives us a good look at some insights and misconceptions about holiness.
First, holiness is not having a heart that can’t be tempted to do evil. We suggest that being holy or sanctified means that you are never sinning or tempted to sin. This simply isn’t true. In actuality holiness isn’t being invincible to the influence of evil. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as the very Son of God and our divine atonement for our sins and He, out of all of us, is the perfect example of holiness. And still we read in the scriptures of the account when Jesus was tempted by Satan in three books of the Bible. It is in written in Matthew 4:1-11,
“1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! or the Scriptures say,‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’ 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”(NLT Study Bible)
Even Jesus is recorded in Scripture as being tempted, but not once did he question God’s wisdom or decide to sin. Holiness does not require us to worry about being tempted as much as it does for us to be fully obedient and trust God. It is when we submit to temptation that we are hindered from being holy and building a relationship with God. God sees us struggle and he promises in Hebrews 2:8, “18 Since he himself (Christ) has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” (NLT Study Bible) This brings me to my next point.
Holiness is not having a heart that can’t sin. I need to recognize that Jesus was the only one, being completely human, that could live a life without sin or sinning. Beyond that, the Scriptures say all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Even the beloved early pioneers of The Salvation Army left a life that included sin. Lets take a look at Paul, a seemingly holy disciple of Christ, and his struggle with sin in the book of Romans 7:15-22,
“15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” (NLT Study Bible) We see that Paul, a great preacher in his day after being physically discipled by Christ, is still struggling with, sin even as he continues to write letters of encouragement and the truth about Christ’s love and grace to the surrounding churches. But remember, I just stated that holiness requires that we don’t give into temptation.
I also said that holiness requires obedience and trust in God. As we acknowledge Christ as the divine atonement for our sins, we should think about what that means. Christ paid the price for all of our sins. It is not by my works but by his grace and my faith that I enter into a relationship with Christ and eventually the Kingdom of God. It’s the faith that Jesus will uphold his promise to speak on my behalf as he has died so that I may be forgiven of my sins from the past and the future.
So does sin matter now? Yes it does. My decision to accept Christ has declared my submission to his will and his word. Note that His will is also in His word so you should read it. It’s not that I won’t ever sin again; it’s that my lifestyle should reflect my decision to submit to Jesus. This requires my obedience to his law. Asking for forgiveness and for God to stretch us in areas so that we may grow is the appropriate response to sin. This lifestyle will include hiccups of sin and God will flood that with his grace, but he is also just and knows my heart and it is what it is when I continue to sin.
And a third thing to think about is that holiness is “not having a heart that cannot grow in enjoyment, usefulness, and power.” (William Booth). Being holy doesn’t mean that being deep in a communion with God will leave me stagnant, having reached the “top of my game”. Maybe its basic knowledge of God and common sense that suggest the idea that if I know a God that loves me and has all the power in the world, wouldn’t that mean my blessing could be endless? Jesus again exemplifies and involves himself in my holiness in promising to give us life to the full in John 10:10. God can and will do three things for me with my submission to him in my journey in holiness.
He will give me a life to enjoy wholeheartedly even if I don’t feel like it. Pleasure is an emotional and physical response to a good happening. But the distinction between the temporary happiness we can manifest in material things and the joy that flows from God and experiences with him is what I need to see here. I will receive his joy and be in it even in stressful situations. His promises comfort me in rough times and I rejoice in his miracles and extra blessings when he sees my obedience.
He will make me useful. He has supplied us with countless literature and people to gain wisdom and understanding of God’s saving grace and purpose for my life. These lessons enable me to spread the Gospel as he opens doors for me to do so. We all know there is plenty of investment in God’s Kingdom to be made on earth so we will all be made useful by the Father to do this.
And third, He will empower us with the Holy Spirit. God gives and takes away gifts, spiritual gifts, to use for the engagement of his people and such. He has given us weapons such as prayer and His Holy Word to fight the good fight. He is my strength when I am weak so that he is glorified! (Philippians 4:13) And I have authority over the hell in this world when I am confident in my faith in God’s Power and His alone.
As I just touch on the ways our lives improve, I see there is no shortage of the good life under God.
1. Holiness is not having a heart that can’t be tempted. Jesus was tempted in the desert.
2. Holiness is not having a heart that can’t sin. Paul struggled with sin in Romans 7.
3. Holiness is not boring or a hindrance to a fascinating life. In actuality, living out your holiness tears the roof off your life that sin holds over you.
It is very important, as William Booth emphasized, that we recognize what holiness isn’t. It is so we are not blinded or even tricked into something other than holiness if that is what we strive for. These are the types of things you want to present to your new found subjects in bible studies and other ministry so that they can begin a holiness journey, being clear about what to avoid. They can then be ready to find out what holiness is and stay focused on that.
It can be comparative to surgery. You have to address the gunk before focusing on rehabilitation will be effective. As Catherine Booth stated, “Before you talk about holiness you have to talk about sin.”
