My Month of Holiness
Pastor Amos Dada PhD;P.Eng
amos.dada@gmail.com
I want to welcome you to this month my month of Holiness. It is my prayer that God will keep us holy. These days’ people do not talk of holiness anymore. We have suddenly become strangers to holiness. It should not be so. Not to talk about holiness and walk in holiness will be the worst devaluation and tragedy that can come to Christianity. In The Sermon on the Mount Jesus, makes it clear that one of the distinguishing factors of a Christian is holy living. He said if we give food to others people of other faith do so, if we care for others people of other faith do so, but if we live a holy life we do not only become holy and perfect we are becoming like God for God is Holy!(Matt 5:44-48)
What is Holiness?
I like to personally define holiness as the ability to keep oneself away from things that are ungodly, corrupt, depraved or sinful not only in the way we talk or our conversation , but in our life style, and actions , through the power of the Ghost. Holiness is doing what draws you closer to God, things pleasing to God. Holiness is a life that makes you happy with God. Holiness means living for God and living in obedience to him. Holiness is beyond being moral it is walking in purity on the platform of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.When we come to know the Lord at salvation, we have only begun a life-long journey of living the Christian life which God requires must be characterised by yet a deeper experience which is holiness. The Holiness experience comes after salvation.
Why does God want us to be holy?
We should be holy, because Jesus died to make us holy. We should be holy, in order that we may be useful to God. We should be holy, because we are most solemnly assured that without holiness 'no man shall see the Lord'. We should be Holy because God commands that the Christian be holy. We must be Holy because thee eternal purpose of God in Christ is for us to be holy. God has saved you by the Holy Spirit to make you His holy people. The only safe evidence that we have a saving faith in Jesus Christ is a holy life. The only proof that we sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ is a holy life. John 14:15.People who live holy lives are a blessing to others. (Galatians 5:13). Holiness keeps you from sicknesses and diseases that are associated to unholy living. We need holiness.
How are we to live the holy life?
Living in holiness is not a state of freedom from temptation, affliction, or trials, for Jesus Christ our Saviour was holy and perfect, but, “He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” ( Hebrews 4:15) Other saints like Joseph, Job, Daniel, Paul and John live holily and righteously, yet experienced severe afflictions. Living in holiness is living in freedom from inward and outward sin. God expressly command: But as “He which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy for I am holy” (1 Peter 1: 15, 16). Every believer must follow the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, For the Bible says: “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even, even as He walked” (1 John 2: 6). In these days when many Christians are becoming careless and lukewarm and falling away from the Christian faith, the believer who is determined to live a consistent holy life must avoid false doctrine which propagates that holiness is unattainable in this present world. He must abstain from secret and besetting sins, compromise and ungodly conversations, unkind criticisms and judgemental attitudes, desire to please man rather than God, self indulgence and personal ambiguous ambition, discrimination and tribal intolerance and disobedience to the word of God. On the other hand, to be able to live in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives, we must submit ourselves unto God in total consecration. We must set our affections on things above and not on things in this world, maintain a consistent prayer life and close fellowship with the Lord and the people of God, be watchful, sober, and vigilant over our Christian lives, while regularly studying, meditating and obeying the Word of God. True holiness will lead to Christ-likeness in love, kindness, gentleness, meekness, humility in thought, word and action. This month learn how to live a holy life.
What is the blessing of Holy Life?
For the believer, living a life of holiness is not optional but crucial, for it is the only means by which we can live with God eternally. For the Bible says, “Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall the Lord” (Hebrews 12: 14).
I look forward to a month where we will build up ourselves in holiness as Christians but remember you must live holy at all times. Go back to your first love in Christ and build a new foundation of holiness.
Pastor Amos Dada Ph.D, P.Eng
District Superintendent;Christ Apostolic Church (Bethel),Canada
