Holiness brings about so many images in the minds of every person, both believers and non-believers. As a teenager, I would have answered that question, "No dancing, no drinking, and no movies. Don’t curse, don’t hate anybody, propriety dressing; for women-cover your hair, no pants, no earrings, no makeup; even better, no powder. For men- no fitted pants and shirts, shirts must be buttoned up to the neck with a very big tie. Read your Bible in the morning, pray every day, and you'll be fine. The rules are clear. Keep them and you shall be pronounced holy."
Many have become wary of that word when speaking to believers, the mere mention of it does and still gives some people the hives, others unknowingly or knowingly turn deaf ears to anything you say, especially if the Pastor announces on the pulpit the sermon for the day as HOLINESS.
WHAT IS HOLINESS?
Quoting the great the word of Myles Munroe, “When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.” To understand fully what Holiness is we need to understand the root.
Let us begin by knowing what holiness is. The Hebrew words translated “holy,” qadash and its derivatives, carry the meaning of “set apart”—sanctified, consecrated, hallowed. The Greek words translated “holy,” hagios and its derivatives, imply an absence of fault or impurity (The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). To be holy means to be cleansed of faults and set apart by God, who is Himself faultless and pure.
Adam, before the fall, lived a holy life; no reference was made for him to be holy because he had a relationship with God that was without blemish. When Adam fell, there was a wide gulf, a break in a relationship between man and God. Genesis 3:8. We were created after the image of God. Genesis 1:26-31. He saw it was good he needed an extension of Himself, a mirror image of Him, He could have used the beast of the fields or the fowls of the air or the sea creatures but no, no wonder the angels were asking who is man that You are so particular about him. Psalms 8:1-9.
WHY HOLINESS?
The call for Holiness came after we fell from grace and were driven out of the Garden of Eden. God will not and couldn't relate again with us, He had to set the pace for us mankind on how to relate back with Him, the love and pure relationship was what God craved for. He doesn't want us dead or to perish.
God saw every effort to continue the relationship we had proved abortive. The nature of sin had taken deep root into man’s mind and heart. And he saw it first-hand in the descendants of Adam, Genesis 4:8-15; 6:1-3. He started by giving rules for living - the Ten Commandments. He set apart Priests and Levites who would be taught the law and set apart to be a carrier of the Law of God to the people, helping in their relationship with God. Leviticus 11:44.
Holiness is all about our relationship with God, which can only be attained on HIS terms. But, as humans, we see it as a high and difficult path to attain. From the time of Adam to the fall and till now, it has and will always be a war of the soul of man complying with what He wants. God did send His priests, Levites. But they perverted His words, misunderstood the reason for the Ten Commandments and lived on the letter instead of the spirit behind them, 2 Corinthians 3:6.
The craving for that love relationship He had was so strong, He asked who would help bring my people, reconcile them to me. I want that Eden experience once again, Revelation 5:1-14.
Jesus was the last and only final resort to bring us back to God, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:19. God sent him to the earth to be born of the flesh – John 1:14-18. A High Priest, who was like no other, understood when we were tempted, hungry, angry and lonely. Hebrews 4:14-16.
STEPS TO ATTAINING HOLINESS
Accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and savior is the first step to building the relationship God wants of us. And following His word, keeping and living them.
Man is a tri- being- spirit, soul and body. After new birth, the Spirit man is connected back to God. Soul and body still stay same. They are actually the ones we are at war with. Galatians 5:24, 2:20, Romans 8:13.
Paul also talked about being at war with the flesh. Romans 7:23. To win this war between our spirit, soul and body we need the daily intake of the word-feeding the spirit with the right nourishment and being careful what one feeds the flesh and soul, Romans 6:16, and the help of the Holy Spirit who is our guide now. John 16:13.
IT PAYS TO BE HOLY
As Christians, the benefits of Holiness can’t be exhausted.
- You become God’s friend- Abraham – James 2:23, Moses- God spoke to him as a friend, Exodus 33:11, Numbers 12:5-8, David- A man after God’s own heart- Acts 13:22.
- You become wealthy like your Father (God) who owns the heavens and earth – Psalms 24:1. Abraham was wealthy so was Isaac and Jacob- Genesis 18:18; 12:1-3. Solomon – 1 kings 3:13.
- You live a victorious life – the three Hebrew children and Daniel- Daniel 1:17; 2:48; 6:28.
- Supernatural strength- like Caleb-Joshua 14:10-11, Samson – judges 15:10-16, David – 1 Samuel 17:36; 17:1-58.
IT IS A DAILY WALK…
In conclusion, Holiness is not a destination but a daily walk with God. Giving up the pretext and coming to Him the way you are, understanding who He is, what he demands of you as a friend and a partner. Understanding the constant prodding, bending, breaking, and molding is for your own benefit, and understanding His terms (Commandments) are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3. God wants your heart to be right with Him. Psalms 51:17, 1 Samuel 16:7.
...Esther Oyanna
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