True Holiness

*** Building on the Old Testament concept of holiness, the New Testament teaches a corresponding twofold definition of moral holiness for God’s people:

(1) separation

from sin and the world system.

(2) dedication

to God and His will.

*** Just as a person forsakes all other romantic relationships, actual or potential, to enjoy the total commitment of a marriage relationship, so we renounce worldly

living as part of our new life in Christ.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,

acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind” (Romans12:1-2).

“Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. . . . 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 6:17; 7:1).

“Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and . . . put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24, NKJV).

*** In sum, holiness means to imitate Christ, to be Christlike.

*** The holy person will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, but he will put on the personality and mind of Christ and will let Christ be formed in him (Romans13:14; Galatians 4:19).

*** He will judge every decision and every action by the question, What would Jesus do?

2. Principles of Holiness

Holiness means that we are not to love this ungodly world system, identify with it, become attached to the things in it, or participate in its sinful pleasures and activities.

“Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of

the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

*** One important aspect of pure and undefiled religion is to keep “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

*** We specifically need to avoid three major areas of temptation and sin:

lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride.

“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).

*** The purpose of holiness standards is to protect us in one or more of these areas.

*** For example, law, or fear of getting caught, can cause a man to remain physically faithful to his wife and restrain him in a time of temptation, but he may still be

very unfaithful in thoughts, attitudes, behavior, and flirtations.

*** By contrast, true love for his wife will drive away all contrary thoughts and desires, and in the long run only love will make the marriage a true success.